Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2002

The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2002 was designed to prevent individuals from being penalized in retirement for taking time out of the workforce to care for family members. Under this proposal, people who spent at least 80 hours a month providing unpaid care to a dependent relative would have been credited with "deemed wages" for up to five years. These credits would be used to calculate Social Security benefits, ensuring that caregivers—who are often women—receive higher monthly payments or death benefits despite having periods of little or no traditional income.