Evergreen Reporter

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), joined Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in introducing bipartisan legislation that would empower Americans with disabilities to work to their full potential by ensuring that doing so will not cause them to lose out on higher Social Security benefits.

“Our government should protect the earned benefits of people with disabilities while also supporting and empowering them to reach their full potential in professions of their choosing,” said Senator Murray. “Our bill will do both—it ensures that Americans with disabilities and their families receive the full Social Security benefits promised to them while also making sure that people who want to work, can.”

“Americans with disabilities and their families should not lose out on their earned benefits Social Security for seeking to work to their full potential,” Wyden said. “Working families deserve the peace of mind that they will not lose out on their Social Security benefit in the future just because they want to work, and this bill would provide exactly that. I will work tirelessly to get this bill over the finish line,” said Senator Wyden.

“Every individual—disabled or otherwise—deserves the freedom to work without worry to secure their own financial future,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Government programs should never disincentivize an American from bettering their lot in life. We need to fix this.”

If an adult has a severe medical condition that began before age 22, they may be eligible for a Social Security benefit called the Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefit. Their benefits are based on their parent’s Social Security earnings, in the same way that benefits of a child under age 18 would be. However, under current law, some of these young adults fear that if they try to work, they will lose future DAC benefits—which are often higher than any benefit they may qualify on their own. This fear inhibits Americans with disabilities from exploring their ability to work as they transition to adult life.

The Work Without Worry Act promotes financial security by ensuring that any earnings from work —no matter how much —will not prevent an individual from receiving a Social Security DAC benefit from their parent’s work history if they have an eligible medical condition that began before age 22. This bill treats all individuals with severe medical conditions that began before age 22 the same—no matter when their parents claim Social Security benefits. This change is estimated to improve the lives of nearly 6,000 individuals with disabilities over the next 10 years and would have no significant effect on the Social Security Trust Funds.

U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are also cosponsors of the legislation.

Endorsing organizations include: The Arc, American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), National Down Syndrome Congress, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), Justice in Aging, American Association on Health and Disability, Lakeshore Foundation, Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives (NOSSCR), Special Needs Alliance, National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR), Autism Society of America, Disability Rights Education Fund, Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities.

A summary of the legislation is here.

The full text of the bill is here.

Original source can be found here.