In an AARP poll of likely voters age 50 and older in competitive U.S. House districts, 77% said they would be more likely to back a candidate proposing a tax credit for unpaid family caregivers.
AARP commissioned Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research to survey 1,368 likely voters in 43 competitive congressional districts from Oct. 1-5, 2026. The sample included 848 respondents age 50 and older, and 50% of that group said they provide family care now or have done so previously. AARP identified affordability as the top issue among older voters in those districts.
In the generic House contest, Democrats received 49% support to Republicans’ 46%, with 5% undecided. The pattern reversed among older respondents, where Republicans led 53% to 43%. The tax-credit result captures respondents’ stated likelihood of backing a candidate, not actual votes. AARP reported a margin of error of ±2.7 percentage points for the full sample and did not provide a separate figure for the older group.
A separate study released Oct. 14 by Edward Jones, Age Wave and The Harris Poll focused on financial caregivers for adults age 65 and older. It found that 91% paid some care costs themselves each year, while 84% did not receive full reimbursement. Average yearly out-of-pocket spending for this group was $8,737. The study’s survey was conducted May 13-June 9, 2026.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2026 survey found a similar financial strain across a broader caregiver population that includes people caring for children as well as adults. Savings and investments were below $10,000 for 34% of unpaid caregivers, versus 25% of noncaregivers; 69% of caregivers said debt was a problem, compared with 57% of noncaregivers.
AARP estimated that 59 million people provided care to adults in 2024, totaling 49.5 billion hours. It valued that unpaid labor at $1.01 trillion, an estimate of the work’s economic value rather than money caregivers received.
The poll covered selected competitive districts, not the entire U.S. electorate. The 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.
