Description of Proposed Provisions:
            Provisions Affecting Retirement Age
    
        
        Estimates based on the intermediate assumptions of
               the 2018 Trustees Report
        
        
        Printer-friendly Version (PDF) 
        
| 
                Change from current law [percent of payroll]  | 
          Shortfall eliminated | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
                Long-range actuarial balance  | 
          
                Annual balance in 75th year  | 
          
                Long-range actuarial balance  | 
          
                Annual balance in 75th year  | 
        |||
| Current law shortfall in long-range actuarial balance is 2.84 percent of payroll and in annual balance for the 75th year is 4.32 percent of payroll. | ||||||
| C1.1 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, increase the NRA 1 month every 2 years until the NRA reaches 68.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Social Security Advisory Board)  | 
          0.37 | 0.69 | 13% | 16% | |
| C1.2 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, increase the NRA 2 months per year until the NRA reaches 68.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Liebman, MacGuineas, Samwick)  | 
          0.46 | 0.69 | 16% | 16% | |
| C1.3 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 
          62 in 2022, index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected 
          retirement years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years 
          (NRA minus 20). We assume the NRA will increase 1 month every 2 years.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Ryan 2010) | memo (AARP) | memo (Ryan 2008) | memo (Social Security Advisory Board)  | 
          0.55 | 1.55 | 19% | 36% | |
| C1.4 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, increase the NRA 2 months per year until it reaches 69 for 
          individuals attaining age 62 in 2034. Thereafter, increase the NRA 
          1 month every 2 years.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Ribble) | memo (Chaffetz)  | 
          1.11 | 2.17 | 39% | 50% | |
| C1.5 | 
          Starting in 2019, allow workers to choose whether to have their payroll 
          tax rate reduced by 2 percentage points. For each calendar year that a 
          worker chooses to have their payroll tax reduced, their normal retirement 
          age (NRA) increases 1 month. We assume 2/3 of workers each year will choose 
          this payroll reduction. The General Fund of the Treasury reimburses the 
          OASI and DI Trust Funds for the reduction in payroll tax revenue.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Landry)  | 
          0.66 | 1.23 | 23% | 28% | |
| C1.6 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, increase the NRA by 1 month every 2 years until the NRA 
          reaches 69. Also increase the age up to which the delayed retirement 
          credit may be earned at the same rate (from 70 to 72). No change to 
          earliest eligibility age.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Bipartisan Policy Center October 2016) | memo (Bipartisan Policy Center June 2016)  | 
          0.53 | 1.32 | 19% | 31% | |
| C1.7 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those attaining 
          age 62 in 2022, increase the NRA by 3 months per year starting for 
          attaining age 62 in 2023 until it reaches 69 for those attaining age 
          62 in 2030. Increase the age up to which delayed retirement credits 
          may be earned from 70 to 72 on the same schedule. Increase the widow(er) 
          NRA in the same manner. The earliest eligibility age (EEA) for worker's 
          and widow(er)'s benefit is unchanged.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Johnson 2016)  | 
          0.88 | 1.32 | 31% | 31% | |
| C2.1 | 
          Increase the earliest eligibility age (EEA) by two months per year 
          for those age 62 starting in 2020 and ending in 2037 (EEA reaches 
          65 for those age 62 in 2037).
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (AARP)  | 
          -0.07 | -0.42 | -2% | -10% | |
| C2.2 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected 
          retirement years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years 
          (NRA minus 20). We assume the NRA will increase 1 month every 2 
          years. Also, raise the earliest eligibility age (EEA) for retired-workers, 
          aged widow(er)s, and disabled widow(er)s by the same amount as the 
          NRA starting for those attaining EEA in 2019.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (NRC/NAPA) | memo (Warshawsky)  | 
          0.51 | 1.25 | 18% | 29% | |
| C2.3 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected 
          retirement years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years 
          (NRA minus 20). We assume the NRA will increase 1 month every 2 
          years. Also, increase the earliest eligibility age (EEA) by the
          same amount as the NRA starting for those age 62 in 2022 so as to 
          maintain a 5 year difference between the two ages. Include a "hardship 
          exemption" with no EEA/NRA change for a worker with 25 years of 
          earnings (with 4 quarters of coverage each), and average indexed 
          monthly earnings (AIME) less than 250 percent of the poverty level 
          (wage-indexed from 2013). The hardship exemption is phased out for 
          those with AIME above 400 percent of the poverty level.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Fiscal Commission)  | 
          0.42 | 1.06 | 15% | 25% | |
| C2.4 | 
          After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches 67 for those age 62 
          in 2022, increase both the NRA and the earliest eligibility age 
          (EEA) by 36/47 of a month per year until the NRA and EEA reach 70 
          and 65 respectively. For each year, the computed NRA and EEA round 
          down to the next lower full month.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Lummis)  | 
          0.75 | 1.78 | 27% | 41% | |
| C2.5 | 
          Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 3 months per year starting 
          for those age 62 in 2019 until the NRA reaches 70 in 2033. Thereafter, 
          index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected retirement 
          years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years (NRA minus 20). 
          We assume the NRA will increase 1 month every 2 years. Also, increase 
          the earliest eligibility age (EEA) from 62 to 64 at the same time the 
          NRA increases from 67 to 69; that is, for those attaining age 62 in 
          2021 through 2028. Keep EEA at 64 thereafter.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Graham, Paul, Lee)  | 
          1.37 | 2.65 | 48% | 61% | |
| C2.6 | 
          Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) and the earliest eligibility 
          age (EEA) for those age 62 in 2020-2021 to 68 and 63, respectively, and 
          then by 3 months per year in 2022-2025 to 69 and 64, respectively.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Hutchison)  | 
          0.89 | 1.11 | 31% | 26% | |
| C2.7 | 
          Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) and the earliest eligibility 
          age (EEA) for those age 62 starting in 2019 by 3 months per year until 
          EEA reaches 64 in 2026 and NRA reaches 69 in 2029.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Hutchison)  | 
          0.81 | 1.11 | 28% | 26% | |
| C2.8 | 
         Starting in 2021, convert all disabled-worker beneficiaries to 
         retired-worker status upon attainment of their earliest eligibility 
         age (EEA) rather than their normal retirement age (NRA). After 
         conversion, apply the early retirement reduction for retirement 
         at EEA (currently about 29.2 percent for those age 62 in 2021) 
         phased in over 40 years.
           graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Warshawsky)  | 
          0.43 | 0.80 | 15% | 18% | |