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Permits eligible DI applicants to elect reduced DI payments during the statutory waiting period, initially at 94.25%, with periodic actuarial recalculation and a 91% certification floor.
Official title: To amend title II of the Social Security Act to permit disabled individuals to elect to receive disability insurance benefits during the disability insurance benefit waiting period, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 31, 2026 by Carol Devine Miller · Last progress August 31, 2026
The bill lets people with disabilities access DI sooner and locks in a stable benefit amount for those who elect the option, at the cost of smaller monthly payments for electors and added timing, administrative, and governance complexity that could create confusion and fiscal uncertainty.
People with disabilities can begin receiving Disability Insurance (DI) payments during the statutory waiting period, providing earlier income support.
Electing beneficiaries retain a fixed benefit amount for their entire eligibility period, protecting them from later recalculations that could reduce monthly payments.
Clear guidance, updated application forms, and an online calculator give applicants and their representatives better tools to understand and choose the election, improving informed decision‑making.
Disabled applicants who elect the early/reduced option receive smaller monthly benefits (e.g., 94.25% or lower) during eligibility, reducing income for beneficiaries and their families.
Complex, timing‑sensitive election and revocation windows tied to filing, initial decisions, and payee selection could confuse applicants and lead to missed opportunities to elect the option.
Actuarial calculations, periodic percentage adjustments, and related administrative requirements add implementation complexity and potential administrative costs borne by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permits certain Social Security disability insurance (DI) applicants to elect to receive reduced DI benefits during the statutory waiting period. The law creates election and revocation windows tied to application milestones, sets a temporary initial benefit fraction (94.25%) and requires periodic actuarial recalculation and certification of a permanent fraction with a 91% minimum floor, while keeping the change revenue-neutral across beneficiaries. The rule applies to applications filed or pending beginning the first day of the first month that starts 180 days after enactment; the Social Security Administration must update application forms and provide public guidance and a calculator. Elections cannot be made in the first month of an established eligibility period and the elected benefit percentage is fixed for the full period of eligibility for that beneficiary.