One of the biggest issues regarding social security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits is the gap of up to five months between the date that the Social Security Administration determines that an applicant’s disability began and the start of SSDI payments. This gap can have devastating consequences for newly disabled individuals who need benefits right away. The We Can’t Wait Act of 2026 (S.3942) would amend Title II of the Social Security Act to allow individuals who are applying for disability benefits to elect to receive a portion of their SSDI benefits during that waiting period of up to five months. These benefits would be received in exchange for a modest reduction in the monthly benefit amount.
This bill makes no other changes to the Social Security Act. The legislation gives applicants a choice between receiving benefits immediately after approval with a modest reduction in their monthly payment amount or waiting for the standard period of time before receiving the full amount of their monthly benefit. This would maintain the current actuarial balance over the 75-year projection period. The We Can’t Wait Act offers a financially reasonable way to bypass the delay in benefits of up to five months, which can have significant consequences for new SSDI recipients.