Long Range Solvency Provisions (2024)

Provisions Affecting Retirement Age

These provisions modify:

the normal retirement age (NRA), the age for which individuals can retire and receive the full Primary Insurance Amount (PIA); or
the earliest eligibility age (EEA), the age for which individuals can first begin receiving retirement benefits, currently age 62; or
both of the above.

We provide a summary list of all options (printer-friendly PDF version) in this category. For each provision listed below, we provide an estimate of the financial effect on the OASDI program over the long-range period (the next 75 years) and for the 75th year. In addition, we provide graphs and detailed single year tables. We base all estimates on the intermediate assumptions described in the 2024 Trustees Report.

Choose the type of estimates (summary or detailed) from the list of provisions.

We group these provisions as follows:

C1: NRA changes only.
C2: EEA changes, with or without NRA changes.

Number	Table and graph selection
C1.1	Starting with those age 62 in 2025, increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 1 month every 2 years until the NRA reaches 68. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Social Security Advisory Board 2005
C1.2	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 2 months per year for those age 62 starting in 2025 and ending in 2030 (NRA reaches 68 for those age 62 in 2030). Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Liebman, MacGuineas, Samwick 2005
C1.3	Starting for those age 62 in 2025, index the normal retirement age (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. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: Ryan 2010 AARP 2008 Ryan 2008 Social Security Advisory Board 2005
C1.4	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 2 months per year for those age 62 starting in 2025 and ending in 2036 (NRA reaches 69 for those age 62 in 2036). Thereafter, increase the NRA 1 month every 2 years. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: Ribble 2016 Chaffetz 2011
C1.6	Starting with those age 62 in 2025, increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 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. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: Bipartisan Policy Center October 2016 Bipartisan Policy Center June 2016
C1.7	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 3 months per year for those age 62 starting in 2025 and ending in 2032 (NRA reaches 69 for those age 62 in 2032). 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. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Johnson 2016
C2.1	Increase the earliest eligibility age (EEA) by 2 months per year for those age 62 starting in 2026 and ending in 2043 (EEA reaches 65 for those age 62 in 2043). Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: AARP 2008
C2.2	Starting for those age 62 in 2025, index the normal retirement age (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 62 in 2025. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memoranda containing this or a similar provision: Warshawsky 2008
C2.3	Starting for those age 62 in 2025, index the normal retirement age (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 2025 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. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Fiscal Commission 2010
C2.4	Starting for those age 62 in 2025, increase both the normal retirement age (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. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Lummis 2011
C2.5	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 3 months per year for those age 62 starting in 2025 and ending in 2036 (NRA reaches 70 for those age 62 in 2036). 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 2025 through 2032. Keep EEA at 64 thereafter. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Graham, Paul, Lee 2011
C2.6	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) and the earliest eligibility age (EEA) for those age 62 in 2025-2026 to 68 and 63, respectively, and then by 3 months per year in 2027-2030 to 69 and 64, respectively. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Hutchison 2011
C2.7	Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) and the earliest eligibility age (EEA) for those age 62 starting in 2025 by 3 months per year until EEA reaches 64 in 2032 and NRA reaches 69 in 2032. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Hutchison 2011
C2.8	Starting in 2027, 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 30 percent for those age 62 in 2027) phased in over 40 years. Summary measures and graphs (PDF version) Detailed single year tables (PDF version) Memorandum containing this or a similar provision: Warshawsky 2008
	Summary list of all options in this category