Published September 16, 2026
Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) introduced the We Can't Wait Act of 2026 in the House on September 2, 2026, a companion to a bipartisan Senate bill Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced back in February. The bill targets a long-standing frustration in the SSDI system: even after the Social Security Administration formally approves someone as disabled, current law requires a mandatory five-month wait before the first benefit check arrives.
Under the proposal, approved claimants would get a choice. They could elect to start receiving payments immediately, accepting a modest, actuarially calculated reduction to their monthly benefit amount, instead of waiting out the five months with no income. The bill doesn't touch eligibility rules or how disability determinations are made — it only changes when payments can begin for people who have already been approved.
Supporters point to a 2020 GAO report finding that roughly 48,000 SSDI applicants filed for bankruptcy between fiscal years 2014 and 2019 while their claims were still working through the system, and that an estimated 109,725 applicants died between 2008 and 2019 before ever receiving a final decision on appeal. For claimants who are approved but still facing the five-month gap, advocates say the wait can mean missed rent, medical bills going unpaid, or debt piling up at the exact moment a diagnosis has already upended their income.
The Senate version, S. 3924, has been pending since February 25, 2026; Miller's House companion, introduced Wednesday, gives the effort a path in both chambers. Neither bill has been scheduled for a committee vote as of this writing. In introducing the House version, Miller described it as a "commonsense, bipartisan solution" for getting earned benefits to people when they need them most.
If you're navigating an SSDI application or appeal, see Atumio's SSDI claims page for a free eligibility review, or start your case review directly.