Miller Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Give Disabled Americans Faster Access to Social Security Benefits

September 2, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced the We Can’t Wait Act . This bill addresses an unnecessary hardship in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, giving individuals who have been determined disabled and eligible for benefits the choice to receive their earned benefits immediately, rather than waiting five months, in exchange for a modestly reduced monthly benefit. Under current law, even after the Social Security Administration determines someone is disabled and eligible for SSDI, they must wait another five months before receiving their first payment. For someone who is unable to work, that delay can mean falling into debt, losing their home, or going without needed medical care. The We Can’t Wait Act gives newly approved beneficiaries the choice to receive their earned benefits sooner while maintaining an actuarially sound benefit structure. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced companion legislation in the Senate earlier this year. "The We Can’t Wait Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that gives Americans greater access to the benefits they have earned when they need them most. Someone who has been determined disabled and unable to work should not have to face an extensive wait for the support they depend on. This legislation provides beneficiaries with greater flexibility during an incredibly difficult time by giving them the option to receive their benefits sooner. I will continue working to ensure Congress is doing everything possible to strengthen Social Security and make sure it works for the Americans who rely on it," said Congresswoman Miller. National and regional organizations endorsing the bill include : Alliance for Aging Research, American Association of People with Disability, Cancer Action Network, American Council of the Blind, Assure Disability, Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Bender Consulting Services, Inc., Brain Injury Association of America, Center for HIV Law and Policy, Communication First, DisABILITY Law Center of Virginia, Disability Rights Maine, Disability Rights North Carolina, Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, HEUMANN Perspective, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Disability Representatives, National Association of the Deaf, National Disability Institute, National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of the Blind, National Industries for the Blind, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives, National Organization on Disability, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Respectability, Tenderloin Housing Clinic, and the World Institute on Disability. Read the We Can't Wait bill text here . ###