Under current law, more than one million Americans with lifelong disabilities who receive benefits as ‘Disabled Adult Children’ (DACs) lose their Social Security and Medicare benefits if they marry a non-disabled person. This can severely limit disabled individuals from having access to lives of their choosing, including marriage. People shouldn’t have to choose between marriage to the person they love and losing their benefits.
What Does the Bill Do?
The Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act includes the following key provisions:
- Eliminates the requirement that a DAC beneficiary remain unmarried to receive Social Security benefits
- Ensures that DAC benefits are not revoked upon marriage
- Modifies Social Security’s rules regarding common law marriages
- Protects Supplement Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid eligibility for DACs who marry a non-disabled person
Why Does it Matter?
- DAC recipients lose their monthly stipend and Medicare if they marry a non-disabled person.
- People with disabilities should be able to marry who they want without being penalized.
- Losing DAC benefits often means losing independence for disabled individuals.
- Healthcare is essential—foregoing benefits is not an option for many persons with lifelong disabilities.
What is Disability Belongs™ Doing About it?
We support and advocate for the Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act. The Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act is one of our priority bills for the 119th Congress, and we will be working to elevate and advocate for this legislation.
