Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act

Key Points

• People with incurable terminal illnesses on the Compassionate Allowance list (with a life expectancy of 5 years or less) could start getting Social Security disability benefits right away, skipping the usual 5-month waiting period. They must elect this option when they first apply.
• Choosing to skip the waiting period comes with a permanent 7% cut to monthly benefits. The person would receive only 93% of the normal amount, and the choice cannot be reversed once made.
• The bill bans collecting both Social Security disability benefits and unemployment insurance in the same month. If someone receives both, their disability payment drops to zero for that month.
• Congress would have to pass a law to add any new condition to the Compassionate Allowance list, taking that power away from the Social Security Administration acting on its own.
• The bill provides flexibility for overpayment recovery. If taking back the full overpayment would defeat the purpose of Social Security, the agency can collect as little as 10% of the monthly payment instead of the full amount.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.