Summary
- President Trump vowed “no cuts” to Social Security, but Republicans are proposing big cuts,
- Republicans want to raise the full retirement age, again, this time from 67 to 69.
- Republicans want to apply means-testing to Social Security benefits and deny benefits to people who have contributed to Social Security all their lives.
- Western New York Congressmen Nicholas Langworthy (NY23) and Claudia Tenney (NY24) are members of the Republican Study Committee proposing these terrible changes.
When he was campaigning for president, Donald Trump promised “no cuts” to Social Security. He pledged not to raise the retirement age, not to apply means testing, and not to reduce benefit. But Republicans in Congress are doing exactly that. Their plan? Raise the retirement age and means-test benefits. This would slash Social Security benefits to most people and completely deny benefits to many people. If Republicans get their way, people will work longer, pay more, and get less.
Raising the Retirement Age Cuts Social Security Benefits
One GOP “fix” for Social Security is raising the full retirement age (FRA) from 67 to 69. They say Americans are living longer, so we should raise the retirement age. But Americans are not living longer. Life expectancy has decreased, not increased. Raising the full retirement age shrinks the number of years you collect benefits – or eliminates them if you don’t live to 69.
One of the Republican groups proposing changes to Social Security is the Republican Study Committee. Among its members are Western New York Representatives Nicholas Langworthy (NY-23) and Claudia Tenney (NY-24.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), raising the full retirement age to 69 would slash Social Security benefits by 13%. But looking at average life expectancies, Social Security benefits would be cut 15-26%.
Republicans swear this won’t affect current retirees. Because seniors vote, if they cut their benefits there would be a huge backlash at the polls. But for younger Americans? You’ll work longer, contribute more, and get back less.
This is not the first time in recent history that the full retirement age for Social Security has been raised. The last time was in 1983, when Congress passed the Social Security Amendments of 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. The full retirement age gradually increased from 65 to 67.
Who’s on the Republican Steering Committee from New York State?
Nick LaLota (NY-1)
Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)
Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
Nick Langworthy (NY-23)
Claudia Tenney (NY-24)
Not Everyone Is Living Longer, But Everyone Will Have to Work Longer
Raising the full retirement age from 67 to 69 is not just a small policy shift – it’s a direct cut to benefits, no matter how Republicans try to spin it. Raising the retirement age means that people will have fewer years to collect Social Security, even though they’ve paid into it their whole lives. And for many, especially those in physically demanding jobs or communities with lower life expectancies, they may never see a dime of the benefits they’ve earned.
One of the biggest Republican talking points is that people are living longer, so they should work longer. But that isn’t true for everyone. In fact, the data shows that average life expectancy actually declined between 2010 and 2020.
Take men, for example. In 2010, the average life expectancy was 76.2 years. But in 2020, it dropped to 74.5 – a 1.8-year decline. It started to rebound slightly in 2024, but the overall trend proves that pushing the retirement age higher does not match reality.
The drop in life expectancy from 2010 to 2020 was primarily driven by COVID-19, which disproportionately killed older Americans. But that wasn’t the only factor – drug overdoses and suicides also played a role. People are not living longer than they were 15 years ago.
How Much Will You Lose? Based on life expectancies in 2024, men would lose 26% of the years (not money) that they would collect Social Security. Women would lose 15%.
How Raising the Retirement Age Slashes Your Benefits
(assuming a benefit of $1907 per month as an example)
Current Full Retirement Age (67):
- Retire at 62 → 30% penalty ($1,335 per month)
- Retire at 67 → Full benefit ($1,907 per month)
- Retire at 70 → 56% bonus ($2,364 per month)
Proposed Full Retirement Age (69):
- Retire at 62 → 35% penalty ($1,239 per month)
- Retire at 69 → Full benefit ($1,907 per month)
- Retire at 70 → 8% bonus ($2,059 per month)
Black Men Lose the Most
Black men already have the lowest life expectancy of any group. In 2010, the average life expectancy for a black male was 71.8 years, compared to 76.5 years for white men. The average life expectancy for black males dropped 3.5 years between 2010 and 2020, the most for any group.
If the full retirement age were raised to 69, there were two periods in which black men’s average life expectancy exceede the proposed full retirement age of 69. There are two periods when black men live long enough to reach the full retirement age. Before the pandemic in 2010, black men, on average, would have collected Social Security for 2.8 years at an FRA of 69. In 2024, they would have collected for 0.3 years, or about four months at an FRA of 69.
For black women, raising full retirement age to 69 means they lose about a quarter of the years they would collect Social Security.
Critics say, “Republicans want you to work until you drop dead.” When it comes to Black men, that’s not hyperbole – it’s fact.
Means-Testing Is Another Cut
Another GOP proposal would trim benefits for high earners, that is, means-testing. The logic is that higher earners don’t “need” the Social Security benefits they have paid for all their lives. “There is a lot of willingness on the Republican side to reduce Social Security benefits for high earners,” noted one policy expert. Defining “high earner” is politically tricky. Even targeted cuts violate Trump’s “no cuts” pledge.
There are obvious flaws in Republican logic as it applies to Social Security reform. First, Republicans view Social Security as an entitlement program, while people who’ve contributed to Social Security all their working lives view it as a right. Second, if high earners don’t “need” Social Security benefits, why does the top 1% “need” huge tax cuts?
The “Big BAD Idea”: Republicans Want to Gamble with Social Security
On the revenue side, Republicans oppose raising Social Security taxes or the payroll tax cap.
Some people may not know, but income above a certain level is not taxed for Social Security. Only the first $176,100 of an individual’s earnings – the taxable maximum or wage base – is taxed. “On the right, there is a line in the sand against tax increases,” explains Emerson Sprick of the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Instead, some Republicans have pitched unconventional funding fixes to avoid benefit cuts.
A leading example is Senator Bill Cassidy’s plan, dubbed the “Big Idea” but really the “Big BAD Idea.” It would inject $1.5 trillion into a new investment fund separate from the Social Security Trust Fund. The $1.5 trillion would be invested in stocks and bonds. The idea is that the higher returns from stocks and bonds could help cover future benefits. Cassidy argues that this could save Social Security “in perpetuity.”
The Cassidy plan requires either new taxes or more federal debt, or both. It essentially gambles on stocks and bonds. Senator Cassidy is a physician. He has no expertise in economics or finance beyond what people have told him.
This is a terrible idea. President Bush proposed a similar plan. Had it been enacted, the Great Recession would have wiped out those investments. However, Wall Street continues to pressure Republican legislators to access a massive pool of money. Naturally, this would only benefit Wall Street and do very little, if anything, for average people.
What Can Ordinary Americans Do to Protect Their Social Security Benefits
Republicans are trying to chip away at Social Security while hoping you won’t notice. Here’s how you fight back:
✅ Check your Social Security contributions – Monitor your earnings at ssa.gov to ensure everything is recorded properly.
✅ Keep your own records – Print or save copies of your Social Security statements.
✅ Plan for alternative retirement savings: Consider supplementing Social Security with personal savings, 401(k) plans, IRAs, or other retirement investments to protect against potential benefit reductions.
✅ Stay informed about policy changes: Keep track of proposed Social Security reforms, retirement age adjustments, and benefit modifications that could impact your future payouts.
✅ Advocate for Social Security protections: Join groups such as AARP and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, which work to safeguard benefits.
✅ Engage politically: Contact your representatives, sign petitions, and vote for candidates who pledge to protect Social Security without cuts.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, public pressure and voter engagement remain the most powerful tools in protecting Social Security from drastic changes. This isn’t about saving Social Security. It’s about cutting benefits without calling it a cut. Republicans hope you won’t notice until it’s too late. Don’t let them get away with it.
The Tables Below Show What Happens If The Retirement Age Is Raised To 69.
- AvgLE (Average Life Expectancy) – how long people, on average, are expected to live.
- YrsSS (Years Receiving Social Security) – the number of years people would collect benefits if the full retirement age were raised to 69.
- Change – the percentage drop in the number of years people would receive benefits at FRA of 69 compared to FRA of 67.
