Social Security Caregiver Credit Act

Summary#

This bill would add a new Social Security rule that gives unpaid family caregivers "deemed wages" for up to five years of care. It creates a new section (235) in Title II of the Social Security Act. A "qualifying month" is any month when a person provides at least 80 hours of unpaid care to a dependent relative, and months after the caregiver reaches retirement age do not count. The bill defines who counts as a dependent relative and what it means to be a "chronically dependent individual." Chronically dependent people need daily help with at least two basic activities (like eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, or moving) or with certain independent-living tasks (like meal prep, shopping, managing money, household chores, communication, or travel).

For qualifying months after December 2026, the caregiver is treated as having been paid extra wages for Social Security benefit calculations. If the caregiver had no actual wages that month, the deemed amount is 50% of the national average wage index for the second prior year. If the caregiver had some wages that month, the deemed amount is the difference between that 50% amount and half of the actual wages. Only the last 60 qualifying months (five years) count. The bill requires applicants to submit information about the dependent, and for most dependents who are not young children, a physician's note. The Social Security Commissioner must issue regulations within one year to implement the rules and to prevent fraud. The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 27, 2026, by Senators Murphy and Gillibrand and referred to the Finance Committee.

What it means for you#

• If you are an unpaid family caregiver who provides at least 80 hours of care a month, you could get Social Security credit for those months when you apply and meet the rules.
• Up to 60 months of qualifying care can be counted toward Social Security benefit calculations.
• You must apply to the Social Security Administration and give information about the person you cared for. If the care recipient is not a child under 12, you generally need a doctor’s note showing they are chronically dependent.
• Months after you reach Social Security retirement age do not count. Help paid under a specific VA program (38 U.S.C. 1720G) is not treated as pay for these purposes.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings say caregiving is essential and that a caregiver credit would improve the economic prospects and retirement security of unpaid caregivers. The bill also notes concern about people who provide paid care under some state or local programs not qualifying for Social Security or Medicare and expresses a sense of the Senate that Congress should address that exclusion.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.