New AARP Poll: Voters in Top Competitive Congressional Districts Overwhelmingly Want Congress to Pass a Caregiver Tax Credit

Conducted in late January 2025 by esteemed pollsters from Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research, poll highlights a clear, bipartisan mandate: voters want financial relief for family caregivers

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AARP is releasing a new poll, revealing overwhelming voter support for Congress and the Administration to act now on a caregiver tax credit. The poll underscores the urgent need for congressional support, with 84% of voters backing a federal tax credit to help cover the costs of caring for an aging loved one. Among various tax proposals currently being debated—including eliminating income taxes on Social Security, tips, and overtime pay—voters ranked passing a caregiver tax credit as their top priority. During his campaign, President Donald Trump called for a national tax credit for caregivers.

"America's family caregivers put family first, helping their parents, spouses and others stay at home. They spend thousands of dollars every year on this care, while juggling work and family responsibilities," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "Without them, millions of older Americans would be forced into costly nursing homes—many at taxpayer expense. As Congress debates tax policy, the message from voters is clear: lawmakers must prioritize financial relief for hardworking Americans who are caring for their aging family members. AARP urges Congress to put money back into the pockets of hardworking family caregivers by passing a tax credit."

"Voters over the age of 50 are a critical voting bloc that all candidates should compete for every election cycle," said Tony Fabrizio, Partner at Fabrizio Ward. "Our poll found that Americans of all political stripes want leaders to support family caregivers. Candidates looking ahead to the 2026 midterms should pay attention to this issue if they want to win."

Family caregivers nationwide, many of whom face financial struggles, spend an average of $7,200 in out-of-pocket expenses each year—making it harder to afford essentials like groceries and bills.

Other key takeaways from the poll:

• Support for the caregiving tax credit spans party lines, with strong majorities of Republicans (84%), Independents (82%), and Democrats (87%) in favor.
• Support for a caregiver tax credit (84%) outpaces support for continuing the 2017 tax cuts (51%).
• 76% of voters agree that "Before Congress extends any tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, it should support working Americans with a tax credit to help cover the expenses of taking care of a loved one."
• Family caregiving crosses party lines, with nearly two-thirds of voters (63%) serving as family caregivers at some point in their lives—many of whom struggle financially.
• Most voters (63%) say they are worried about their personal financial situation.

View the full survey results here.

Commissioned by AARP, the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) and Impact Research (D) conducted this survey of 3,000 registered voters nationally and 1,000 voters in the 28 most competitive House districts between January 27 and February 1, 2025. The districts chosen were the 15 Republican-held districts won by <5% of the vote in 2024, and the 13 Democratic-held districts that were also won by President Trump in 2024. The margin of sampling error for the national survey is ±1.8% and ±3.1% for the congressional districts survey.

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.

SOURCE AARP