Congress·In Committee·H.R. 2082

House Bill Would Add Long-Term Care Cash Benefit to Social Security for Disabled Retirees

WISH Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Creates a new monthly long-term care cash benefit through Social Security for people at retirement age with a serious, long-lasting disability.
Benefit size would be tied to the typical cost of 6 hours a day of paid help, and would be smaller for people with fewer work credits.
You generally must have worked enough to earn at least 6 quarters of coverage starting in 2026, and you must have been disabled for a waiting period that can be longer for higher earners.
Payments would not count as income or savings when applying for other federally funded help, which could keep some people from losing aid.
People using the benefit to hire non-family caregivers must follow wage and payroll tax rules, file a yearly status form, and may lose benefits after 5 years living outside the U.S.

Social SecurityHealthcareMedicare MedicaidLabor Employment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(2)

Small Business Owner

Neutral

Gig Worker

Neutral

Positive Impacts(8)

Retiree

Helps

Social Security

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Disability Benefits

Helps

Homeowner

Helps

Renter

Helps

Medicaid

Helps

Snap Food Stamps

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 11, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Mar 11, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

2026-01-01

Work-credit tracking for this benefit effectively starts (base period begins with the 1st quarter of 2026).

From this point on, quarters of work count toward qualifying later. People with steady work will build eligibility faster than people with long gaps.

Within 90 days after the bill becomes law

HHS publishes a 10-year public education plan about long-term care and this new benefit (due within 90 days after enactment).

You would start seeing clearer official guidance on costs, planning, and how the benefit works—meant to help families prepare before a crisis.

Starting about 1 year after the bill becomes law (with an earlier mailing deadline also in the bill)

Social Security starts sending (and posting online) eligibility and estimate notices on a schedule set by the bill.

People get reminders of their work credits and where they stand, including special notices around milestone ages (45, 55, 65, and retirement age).

3 years after the bill becomes law, then every 3 years

HHS submits a plan about people who are left out (like people disabled before retirement age), due 3 years after enactment and every 3 years after.

This could lead to later proposals for new help for people who need long-term care but don’t qualify for this retiree-focused benefit.

5 years after the bill becomes law, then every 3 years

GAO reports to Congress on risks like fraud/manipulation and financial exploitation, due 5 years after enactment and every 3 years after.

If problems show up (like scams targeting vulnerable seniors), Congress may tighten rules or add protections that change how families manage the benefit.

5 years after the bill becomes law, then every 5 years

Social Security Trustees report on how the benefit is working and whether payments should be adjusted for local cost differences, due 5 years after enactment and every 5 years after.

Over time, this could change benefit amounts to better match high-cost vs. low-cost areas, which would affect how much help seniors can afford.