People diagnosed with terminal illnesses on Social Security's Compassionate Allowance list — conditions like ALS, certain aggressive cancers, and early-onset Alzheimer's — currently have to wait five months before receiving disability benefits, even though their conditions are medically confirmed and incurable. This bill would eliminate that waiting period entirely for these patients. In exchange, it would prohibit anyone from collecting both disability benefits and unemployment insurance at the same time, and it would end benefits for disability recipients who are incarcerated for a felony. The five-month wait affects roughly 250,000 new disability recipients each year, though only a fraction have Compassionate Allowance conditions.
Congressional Summary
Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill ActThis bill permits Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with specified terminal illnesses to elect expedited payment of benefits in exchange for a reduction in the amount of their monthly benefit. Specifically, the bill requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to establish a list of medical conditions that qualify an individual for expedited payment. These conditions must have no known cure, must involve a life expectancy of five years or less, and must be present on the most recent Compassionate Allowances list (a list of medical conditions that, by definition, meet the standards for SSDI benefits). The bill directs SSA to update the list every five years. Congress must approve each medical condition added to the list. Under the bill, individuals diagnosed with a specified terminal condition may elect to receive SSDI benefits beginning the month after the onset of disability. Under current law, individuals generally must wait five months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits. Individuals who opt to receive expedited payment must accept a 7% reduction in monthly benefits. Separately, the bill prohibits individuals receiving unemployment benefits from simultaneously receiving SSDI benefits. The bill also permits SSA to collect less than 100% of an overpaid Social Security beneficiary’s monthly benefit, so long as the collection amount is not less than 10% of their monthly benefit.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-01-15
- Date Added
- 2026-04-14