Bipartisan Bill Offers Disabled Americans a Choice to End Deadly SSDI Wait

WASHINGTON, DC – March 20, 2026 – For hundreds of thousands of Americans, being approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is not the end of a difficult journey, but the start of another agonizing wait. A new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to end this dangerous limbo by giving disabled workers a choice to access their earned benefits immediately.

The We Can't Wait Act, introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), targets the mandatory five-month waiting period that currently prevents approved SSDI recipients from receiving their first payment. This delay, which occurs even after the Social Security Administration (SSA) has confirmed a long-term disability, has been linked to devastating financial and health consequences for some of the nation's most vulnerable citizens.

The Human Cost of the Five-Month Delay

Under current law, the five-month waiting period begins only after the SSA determines the official onset date of a person's disability. This statutory delay is compounded by the administrative reality that the initial application process itself can take six to eight months, and sometimes much longer. The result is a prolonged period without income, forcing many into impossible choices between paying for rent, food, or life-sustaining medical care.

A stark 2020 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) quantified the catastrophic effects of these delays. The report found that between fiscal years 2008 and 2019, more than 100,000 people died while awaiting a final decision on their disability claims. In a separate six-year period, an estimated 50,000 applicants filed for bankruptcy while navigating the appeals process.

Advocacy groups argue that the five-month waiting period, originally intended to ensure benefits were reserved for those with long-term disabilities, now acts as an arbitrary and punitive barrier. During this gap, individuals who have paid into the SSDI system throughout their working lives are left without the support they need at the moment they need it most. This can lead to a rapid deterioration of health as people skip treatments, and it can erase a lifetime of savings, pushing families into poverty and homelessness.

A Fiscally Neutral, Common-Sense Solution

The We Can't Wait Act proposes a straightforward yet innovative solution. It would not eliminate the waiting period entirely but would instead make it optional. Newly approved SSDI recipients would be given the choice to either wait the full five months for their standard benefit amount or begin receiving payments immediately in exchange for a modest, actuarially calculated reduction in their future monthly checks.

Crucially, the legislation is designed to be fiscally neutral. The benefit reduction for those who opt for early access would be calculated to ensure that there is no negative impact on the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund over the next 75 years. This key provision has allowed the bill to gain bipartisan traction by addressing a critical social need without adding to the national debt.

"Senators Collins and Hassan are extraordinary leaders in seeking fairness and choice for Americans with disabilities," said Jason Turkish on behalf of the We Can't Wait Coalition, a national movement backing the reform. "The We Can't Wait Act is a commonsense, fiscally responsible solution to a serious but solvable problem... Heartbreakingly, the five-month now confronting disabled workers has forced many to delay medical treatment, resulting in bankruptcy and death."

Empowering Choice and Restoring Dignity

Beyond the immediate financial relief, supporters of the bill emphasize its role in restoring autonomy and dignity to disabled individuals. By providing a choice, the legislation empowers people to make the best decision for their own unique circumstances. For someone with significant savings, waiting five months for a larger benefit might be preferable. But for someone facing eviction or unable to afford prescription drugs, immediate access could be a lifeline.

To facilitate this informed choice, the bill mandates that the SSA develop and provide an online calculator. This tool would allow applicants to see exactly how opting for immediate benefits would affect their monthly payments, enabling a clear and transparent decision-making process. The legislation preserves the existing SSDI structure for those who choose to defer, ensuring no change to their eligibility or benefit policies.

"The We Can't Wait Act honors the contributions hardworking Americans with disabilities have made, while removing an arbitrary barrier to the benefits they have earned and deserve," Mr. Turkish stated. He added that the bill is not only "straightforward, compassionate and fiscally responsible," but also "urgently needed."

This reform is championed by a broad coalition of dozens of organizations, including advocates for veterans, individuals with chronic illnesses, and the wider disability community. They see the bill as a modernization of the social safety net, one that replaces a rigid, one-size-fits-all rule with a flexible, humane approach. As the bill begins its journey through the legislative process, its supporters are calling on the Senate to act swiftly, arguing that for thousands of disabled Americans, the wait has already been too long.