Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026

More Social Security credit for caregivers

If enacted, the bill would treat months you give unpaid care as Social Security wage months. A qualifying month means at least 80 hours caring for a dependent relative. Months after December 2026 would count, but months that end after you reach retirement age would not. For each qualifying month, you would be deemed to have earned half the national average wage index from two years earlier, reduced by half of any pay you actually got that month. Only your last 60 qualifying months would be used. This would affect monthly Social Security benefits and lump-sum death payments. You would have to apply and give the dependent's name and ID. If the dependent is not a child under 12, you would need physician documentation showing chronic dependency. After the first 12 qualifying months, you must certify each qualifying month or certify every up-to-12-month period that nothing changed. The Commissioner must issue rules within 1 year to implement the program and prevent fraud. Payments under 38 U.S.C. 1720G to family caregivers would not count as pay for the qualifying-month test. The deemed-wage rule would not apply if a larger benefit or death payment would be payable without it.