We Can't Wait Act of 2026

The We Can't Wait Act of 2026 allows individuals who have not yet reached early retirement age to choose whether they want to receive Social Security disability benefits during the standard five-month waiting period that currently precedes benefit payments. If an individual makes this election, their monthly benefit amount is permanently reduced by a specific percentage, initially set at 94.25 percent of the standard rate, to ensure the change does not increase the long-term costs for the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. The bill requires the Social Security Administration to update application forms within 180 days of enactment and mandates that actuaries recalculate this reduction factor every five years to maintain actuarial neutrality over a 75-year period.