A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Work Without Worry Act of 2026 amends the Social Security Act to change how childhood disability beneficiaries are handled. It adjusts the requirements for when a disability must have begun and how it is determined for those under age 22. The bill allows certain applications for child's insurance benefits to be treated as applications for disability or old-age insurance benefits depending on the person's age and insurance status. It also specifies that a child does not need to be continuously disabled from the time the disability began until the application is filed.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +8
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?
Significantly lowers barriers to receiving Social Security benefits for those with childhood onset disabilities.
- Scored +6
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Provides a path to benefits for those with disabilities beginning before age 22.
- Scored +6
Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities?
Expands eligibility and removes restrictive continuity requirements for childhood disability benefits.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Expanded Disability Criteria: Section 2(a)(1) allows for disabilities that can be "reasonably presumed" to have begun before age 22, which may make it easier for some to qualify.
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Simplified Application Process: Section 2(a)(2)(A) and (B) allow a single application for child's insurance benefits to be deemed an application for disability or old-age insurance benefits, reducing the number of filings required.
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Flexible Disability Timeline: Section 2(a)(2)(12) removes the requirement for a child to be continuously under a disability between the start of the disability and the date they apply for benefits.
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Benefit Optimization: Section 2(a)(2)(C) ensures that if a person is entitled to a higher monthly amount through old-age or disability insurance than through child's insurance, they can receive that higher amount.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Delayed Implementation: Section 2(b) states that these changes only apply to applications filed 24 months after the act is enacted, meaning people cannot benefit from these changes immediately.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Significantly lowers barriers to receiving Social Security benefits for those with childhood onset disabilities. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides a path to benefits for those with disabilities beginning before age 22. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Increases access to Social Security disability and child's insurance benefits. Would children be better off under this? — Easier eligibility criteria for childhood disability benefits. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides additional financial support for families with disabled children. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Allows adults to claim benefits based on childhood disability without continuous disability proof. Would retired people be better off under this? — Simplifies the application for old-age insurance benefits for eligible individuals. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Simplifies the process of transitioning to old-age insurance benefits.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — Expands eligibility and removes restrictive continuity requirements for childhood disability benefits. Does this strengthen Social Security? — Optimizes benefit amounts and simplifies application processes for childhood disability beneficiaries. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Increases potential access to financial benefits for disabled adults who had childhood disabilities.
- 7/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 6 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts