New Bill: Work Without Worry Act

Adults with disabilities who qualify for Social Security disabled adult child or childhood disability (DAC) benefits want to explore their ability to work. However, under current law, some of these young adults fear that if they try to work they will lose future DAC benefits. This bill promotes financial security by ensuring that any past earnings from work – no matter how much – will not prevent an otherwise eligible individual from receiving a Social Security DAC benefit from their parent’s work history (if the individual’s medical impairment began before age 22). If an individual with a disability that began before age 22 works enough to become insured for Social Security based on their own earnings, they will receive the larger of the benefits from either their parent’s work history or the benefit from their own work history. This bill also treats all individuals with disabilities that began before age 22 the same – no matter when their parents claim Social Security benefits. Introduced earlier in the summer, S.2018/ H.R. 4003 has great bipartisan support (Larson (D-CT) and Reed (R-NY) in the House and Wyden (D-OR) and Cassidy (R-LA) in the Senate) and will likely pick up steam in the new year.

Additional Work Without Worry information:

Work Without Worry Act - House Fact Sheet

WYDEN, CASSIDY: Allow Americans With Disabilities to Work Without Worry - Senate Finance Committee Statement

Blog posts:

• From RespectAbility: Bipartisan Bill Helps Americans with Disabilities Seek Work without Losing Benefits
• From the ARC: The Social Security Law That Keeps Parents Awake at Night