The Stop the Wait Act of 2026 eliminates the five-month waiting period that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries must currently wait before receiving benefits. Under current law, individuals approved for disability benefits must wait five months after becoming disabled before payments begin, which causes financial hardship for people unable to work. The bill phases in this change gradually between 2026 and 2030, reducing the waiting period from five months to three months, then two months, then one month, before eliminating it entirely starting January 1, 2031. The legislation also expands Medicare eligibility for disabled individuals during the transition period if they lack other health insurance coverage, allowing them to access Medicare benefits more quickly rather than waiting the standard 24 months. The bill does not specify new federal funding requirements, as it reallocates existing Social Security and Medicare resources to accelerate benefit payments for eligible disabled individuals.