Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026

Increased retirement savings opportunities: The bill allows "qualified family caregivers" to be treated similarly to participants reaching age 60 for catch-up contribution purposes (Section 2(b)(2)(E) and Section 2(c)). This provides a way for people providing significant unpaid care to bolster their financial future.

Recognition of caregiving labor: The bill recognizes specific tasks such as assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, laundry, food shopping, housekeeping, managing medications, and transportation as valid caregiving hours (Section 2(b)(6)(D)(iv)).

Support for diverse caregiving roles: The definition of a family caregiver includes unpaid family members, foster parents, or other unpaid adults who provide care for children or adults with special needs, including elderly adults (Section 2(b)(6)(D)(iii)).

Limitations on the duration of benefits: An individual cannot be treated as a qualified family caregiver for more than a total of five taxable years, or for one year for each year they met the requirements (Section 2(b)(6)(D)(ii)).

Strict requirements for qualifying: To qualify, an individual must have completed 500 or more hours of caregiving and have worked fewer than 500 hours of paid employment (Section 2(b)(6)(D)(i)).