Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2016

Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2016

This bill expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress must address the unfair exclusion of professional and hardworking home care providers who are not eligible to receive Social Security or Medicare because they provided paid care to a family member with a disability under programs operated at the state and local level for general health and welfare protection.

This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit, including any lump-sum death payment, payable under OASDI on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of any individual.

Such an individual shall be deemed to have been paid a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month during which the individual was engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation for up to five years of such service.

This bill shall not apply in the case of any monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a larger benefit or payment would be payable without its application.