Sen. Susan Collins (R) has introduced legislation that would allow claimants to bypass the five-month waiting period when applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
As the law is currently written, Americans are not eligible to receive payments during this time frame despite already having a confirmed disability.
Under the bill proposed by Sen. Collins, alongside Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), disabled claimants would have the option of receiving benefits immediately after approval in exchange for “a modest, actuarially sound reduction in their monthly benefit amount.”
According to a statement shared by Collins announcing this proposal, the actuarial balance in the SSDI Trust Fund would be maintained over a 75-year period.
No other changes would be made to the SSDI program as a result of this measure, leaving intact the existing eligibility criteria, determination process, and level of benefits for those who choose not to bypass the waiting period.
A version of this bill was previously introduced by Collins in 2023 alongside Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
“This bipartisan legislation is a straightforward, compassionate, and fiscally responsible step forward,” said Collins in a statement Wednesday.
“It respects the financial integrity of the SSDI program while providing a crucial option to hardworking Americans who simply cannot wait even five months for the benefits they have worked for and desperately need,” she said.
“People diagnosed with a terminal disease or other serious disability should not be forced to wait five months to start receiving the Social Security Disability Insurance benefits that they earned while working,” said Sen. Hassan.
“This bipartisan bill is a commonsense way to give people an option to receive their Social Security Disability benefits more quickly, without increasing the cost for the federal government,” Hassan said. “I will continue working to help people who experience disabilities access the resources that they need.”
