The GOP, through the Republican Study Committee (RSC), proposed this month to raise the full retirement age from 67 to 69 years, starting in 2026 and moving gradually until 2033, affecting those who are currently 59 years old or younger. This puts millions of Americans on alert who are waiting to retire with a good amount of money per month.
Donald Trump’s DOGE, the secretariat headed by Elon Musk, would also be considering cuts in benefits for those who earn more than $80,652 a year and changes to the disability program. These measures could reduce $718 billion over 10 years, according to research.
Cuts to Social Security benefits: Who would be affected?
According to the information, beneficiaries who are already receiving their payments would not be affected, but future retirees would be, with cuts and the obligation to work more years before being able to enjoy their well-deserved rest: some of the most affected are those who are in their 30s and 40s, who could see a reduction of up to $3,500 annually, which also increases the risk of poverty.
According to the Center for American Progress (RSC budget analysis), we were facing a benefit reduction of approximately 13% for affected future retirees.
It is proposed to reduce benefits for future beneficiaries who earn $80,652 or more per year in current terms, currently under age 59. This includes the phasing out of ancillary benefits, such as spousal benefits, which can currently receive up to half of the primary worker’s benefit. This will likely negatively impact retired couples’ ability to maintain an adequate standard of living, especially for those with mixed incomes.
SSDI would also be affected by DOGE cuts
As if these cuts weren’t enough, making Elon Musk’s chainsaw even hungrier, the proposals include banning people over 62 from applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), reducing eligibility and benefits, and limiting access to the appeals process. This would further restrict support for disabled workers, who rely on these benefits to cover basic needs.
According to the House Budget Committee Democrats, these measures would cut $718 billion from Social Security over 10 years, with $224 billion coming specifically from the retirement program.
Have more cuts to Social Security been proposed?
It is not the first time that the GOP has proposed cuts to social programs, and one of the most recent occurred in 2022 when Senator Rick Scott suggested that all federal programs, including Social Security, should expire every 5 years, unless Congress votes to maintain them, which could put the stability of the program at risk.
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan also made Social Security and Medicare reform a central tenet of his budget proposals in the 2010s. But not all Republicans are ready to support such initiatives. President Donald Trump, for example, declared in January 2023 that “under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a penny from Medicare or Social Security.”
In any case, he has given Elon Musk and his DOGE secretariat a blank check to be able to carry out all kinds of cuts that he believes are “necessary”, and yes, the scissors could go over Social Security, Medicare, and even SNAP benefits.
