Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2023

The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2023 would allow unpaid caregivers of dependent relatives to count their caregiving time toward Social Security retirement benefits. Specifically, it would treat months with at least 80 hours of unpaid care for a child under 12 or a chronically dependent relative (such as an elderly or disabled family member) as if the caregiver earned half the national average wage for that year. Caregivers would need to apply and provide documentation, like a physician’s note for non-child dependents, to verify chronic dependency. Only the last 60 qualifying months would count, and the change would apply to benefits starting after December 2023.