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Summary of Provisions That Would Change the Social Security Program
Solvency Provisions

Description of Proposed Provisions:
Provisions Affecting Retirement Age

Estimates based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2010 Trustees Report

  Change from present law Results with this provision
Long-range
actuarial
balance		 Annual
balance in
75th year		 Long-range
actuarial
balance		 Annual
balance in
75th year
Present Law, Alternative II.
 -1.92 -4.12
C1.1 Shorten the hiatus in the normal retirement age (start increasing to age 67 for those age 62 in 2011, rather than those age 62 in 2017).
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.08 0.00 -1.84 -4.12
C1.2 Shorten the hiatus in the normal retirement age (start increasing to age 67 for those age 62 in 2011, rather than those age 62 in 2017) and then index the normal retirement age (by 1 month every 2 years) until the NRA reaches age 68.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.44 0.74 -1.48 -3.38
C1.3 Shorten the hiatus in the normal retirement age (start increasing to age 67 for those age 62 in 2011, rather than those age 62 in 2017) and then index the normal retirement age (by 1 month every 2 years) until the NRA reaches age 70.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.62 1.72 -1.30 -2.40
C1.4 Shorten the hiatus in the normal retirement age (start increasing to age 67 for those age 62 in 2011, rather than those age 62 in 2017) and then increase the NRA 2 months per year until the NRA reaches age 68.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.55 0.74 -1.37 -3.38
C1.5 Shorten the hiatus in the normal retirement age (speed up the increase to age 67). That is, increase the NRA by 2 months per year for those attaining age 62 in 2012 through 2017, five years earlier than in current law, which would increase the NRA 2 months per year for those reaching age 62 in 2017 through 2022.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.06 0.00 -1.86 -4.12
C1.6 Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) from 66 to 67 one year earlier than current law, starting for those reaching age 62 in 2016 and ending for those reaching age 62 in 2021. Then, after 2021, index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected retirement years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years (NRA minus 20).
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.44 1.54 -1.48 -2.58
C1.7 Index benefits to longevity after the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches age 67 under current law. Under current law, the NRA reaches 67 for individuals who attain age 62 in 2022 and later. Under this provision, the NRA would be further increased by one month for those attaining age 62 in every other year after 2022.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.41 1.52 -1.51 -2.60
C1.8 Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) for those reaching age 62 in 2018 and later. For those reaching age 62 in 2018, the NRA would be 66 years, 6 months. The NRA would increase 2 months per year for those reaching age 62 in 2019, 2020, and 2021, reaching an NRA of 67 for those turning 62 in 2021.Then, after 2021, index the NRA to maintain a constant ratio of expected retirement years (life expectancy at NRA) to potential work years (NRA minus 20).
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.44 1.54 -1.48 -2.58
C2.1 Gradually raise the earliest eligibility age (EEA) for Social Security retirement benefits from 62 to 65. The EEA would be increased by 2 months for individuals reaching age 62 in every year, starting in 2012. The EEA of 65 would apply for those reaching age 62 in 2029 and later (those reaching age 65 in 2032 and later). As under current law, the PIA formula applicable for any individual would depend on the year in which eligibility age is attained. It should be noted that the elimination of retirement eligibility between ages 62 and 65 would increase the number of individuals who would apply for disabled worker benefits at those ages.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		-0.07 -0.40 -1.99 -4.52
C2.2 Shorten the hiatus in the NRA by 5 years, that is, start increasing the NRA from 66 to 67 for individuals age 62 in 2012, rather than in 2017. Beginning for those age 62 in 2012, increase the EEA and NRA for retired worker benefits by 2 months per year until the EEA reaches age 63 and the NRA reaches age 67 for those attaining age 62 in 2017. Thereafter, increase both EEA and NRA by 1 month every 2 years. Finally, increase the earliest eligibility age for disabled widow(er)s and aged widow(er)s at the same rate as the increase in the EEA for retired worker benefits.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Warshawsky) | memo (NRC/NAPA) 		0.54 1.40 -1.38 -2.72
C2.3 Starting in 2013, convert all disabled worker beneficiaries to retired worker status upon attainment of their EEA (rather than their NRA). After conversion, apply the early retirement reduction for retirement at EEA (currently 25%) times the ratio of years after 2012 (or years after attaining age 21, if later) and before attaining age 62, to 40. Medicare eligibility would be extended to age 65 on the basis of disability. After 2012, disability applications would not be accepted for benefit entitlement that would start at ages over EEA.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.38 0.75 -1.54 -3.37
C2.4 After the normal retirement age (NRA) reaches age 67, index NRA to maintain a constant ratio of life expectancy at NRA to potential work years (NRA-20) and maintain the earliest eligibility age (EEA) at 5 years less than the normal retirement age in the future. Also, include a "hardship exemption" with no EEA/NRA change if a worker has 25 years of earnings of at least the level needed for 4 quarters of coverage, and average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) less than 250% of the individual aged Federal poverty level (wage-indexed from 2009). The hardship exemption is phased out for those with AIME above 400% of the poverty level.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.34 1.22 -1.58 -2.90
C2.5 Increase both the earliest eligibility age (EEA) and the normal retirement age (NRA) at a rate of 36/47 of a month per year starting for those reaching age 62 in 2023, until reaching an EEA of 65 and an NRA of 70 for those reaching age 62 in 2069. For each year, the computed EEA and NRA would be rounded down to the next lower full month.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.62 1.99 -1.30 -2.13
C2.6 Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 3 months per year starting in 2017 until reaching 70 for those attaining age 62 in 2032. Then increase the NRA 1 month every 2 years thereafter. Note that the NRA would increase from 66 to 67 faster than under current law. Increase the earliest eligibility age (EEA) from 62 to 64 at the same time the NRA would increase from 67 to 69; that is, for those attaining age 62 in 2021 through 2028. Keep EEA at 64 thereafter. Keep years in which delayed retirement credits can be earned at 4 years after attaining NRA.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		1.36 2.90 -0.56 -1.22
C2.7 For those attaining age 62 in 2020 and 2021, increase the earliest eligibility age (EEA) to 63 and increase the normal retirement age (NRA) to 68. Then, increase the EEA and NRA by 3 months per year starting with those reaching age 62 in 2022 and stopping with those reaching age 62 in 2025. The EEA would then remain at 64 and the NRA at 69 for workers and spouses attaining 62 in 2025 and later.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo 		0.82 1.25 -1.10 -2.86
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Last reviewed or modified April 27, 2011