Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2026

This bill proposes to amend Title II of the Social Security Act to establish a system of deemed wages for individuals providing unpaid care to dependent relatives. The primary goal is to bolster the economic prospects and provide vital retirement security for these caregivers, acknowledging their essential role in family life and society by crediting up to five years of service.

Under the proposed amendment, a "qualifying month" is defined as a month where an individual provides at least 80 hours of care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation, up to a maximum of 60 months. Dependent relatives include children under 12, or chronically dependent individuals such as parents, grandparents, siblings, or spouses, who require daily assistance with at least two activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.

For each qualifying month, caregivers would be credited with deemed wages for Social Security benefit calculations, effective for benefits after December 2026. If no other wages are earned, the deemed wage would be 50 percent of the national average wage index; otherwise, it would be the excess of that amount over half of any actual wages earned. To receive these credits, individuals must submit an application with identifying information for the dependent relative and, for chronically dependent individuals, physician documentation.