# 119-s-4396: Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026

119-s-4396, Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-02).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4396
- As of: 2026-09-02
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4396
- Congress: 119
- Title: Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-27
- Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Social Welfare
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-02

## Summary

**This bill would treat months spent caring for a dependent relative as if the caregiver had earned wages so those months count toward Social Security benefit calculations.** - Caregivers and families: Qualifying months of caregiving are counted as wages beginning December 2026, which can raise monthly Social Security benefits and lump-sum death payments for caregivers who lack enough earnings history. The bill caps counted months to the most recent 60 months. - Benefit calculation and limits: The deemed wage for a qualifying month is 50 percent of the national average wage index for months with no actual wages and is adjusted where the caregiver also has earnings. Deeming cannot produce a larger benefit than would otherwise be payable. - Administration and evidence: The law requires regulations within one year, an application and certification process, documentation of the dependent relative, medical verification for chronically dependent non-child relatives, and ongoing certification for additional months.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Deemed Social Security Wages for Caregivers: mixed, high. If enacted, this would treat months after December 2026 when you provide at least 80 hours of unpaid care to a dependent relative as Social Security wages. For months with no actual pay, you would be treated as earning 50% of the national average wage from two years earlier. For months with some ac…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-4396 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4396)

## Related
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4396 (as of 2026-09-02).