New Bill Could Help Unpaid Family Caregivers Get Bigger Social Security Checks
- Author: Miguel Waters
- Posted: 2026-05-04
Every year, millions of Americans leave their jobs or cut back on work hours to take care of family members. They might be raising children, looking after elderly parents, or helping a spouse or relative who is sick or disabled.
While this choice helps keep families together, it often leads to smaller Social Security payments when these caregivers retire.
What the New Bill Proposes
A new bill in Congress wants to change this. The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026 would give unpaid caregivers up to five years of Social Security credit for the time they spend caring for family members.
The bill was introduced by Representative Brad Schneider in the House and Senators Chris Murphy and Kirsten Gillibrand in the Senate.
How Social Security Works Now
Currently, your Social Security retirement benefits are based on your 35 highest-earning years of work. If you stop working or work fewer hours to care for a loved one, those years show up as low or zero earnings.
This permanently lowers your future benefits.
How the Bill Would Help
Under this proposal, caregivers who spend at least 80 hours per month providing unpaid care would qualify for credits. This care could be for:
- A child under 12 years old
- An aging parent
- A spouse with a disability
- Another family member with a long-term health condition
Instead of counting those caregiving months as zero earnings, the government would add "deemed wages" to the caregiver's record when calculating benefits. This credit would be limited to five years total.
Why This Matters
Research shows that about 63 million American adults—nearly one in four—provide care to someone with a medical condition or disability.
Senator Gillibrand said, "Caregiving for an aging parent, relative with a disability, or ailing loved one is a full-time job. Individuals who leave the workforce to care for their loved ones should receive compensation for that critical work."
Senator Murphy added, "Caregivers shouldn't lose out on Social Security benefits because they step away from the workforce to care for a loved one. Caregiving is work, and it's time we start treating it that way."
Women Would Benefit the Most
Although the bill applies to everyone, supporters say women would benefit the most. Women make up a larger share of unpaid caregivers and are more likely to reduce their work hours for family responsibilities.
Financial expert Michael Ryan explained the problem: "When a caregiver steps out of the workforce to raise a child, care for an aging parent, or support a disabled spouse, those years count as $0 earnings in their 35-year average calculation. Every zero drags down lifetime benefits permanently."
The Road Ahead
The bill has been introduced but still needs to pass through congressional committees. Similar bills have failed in the past, mainly because of concerns about Social Security's long-term funding.
Critics worry that adding more credits could put extra pressure on a system that already faces money problems. Supporters argue that family caregivers are already doing valuable work that would otherwise cost families, insurance companies, or the government much more.
What This Could Mean for You
If passed, the bill would not increase every caregiver's Social Security check right away. However, for those who qualify, it could boost future retirement benefits by replacing some zero-earning years with credited earnings.
For families who have long seen caregiving as a personal sacrifice with no financial recognition, this bill represents an important change—acknowledging that the work done at home still counts.
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