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trust fund each year. This form of redistribution did not take into account chang-ing demographics. During the early years of the Social Security system, there were many more people working than receiving benefits. As the population ages and people live longer, the number of people receiving benefits increases whereas the number of people working and paying into the system decreases. This imbalance led to ominous predictions in the early 1980s that the Social Security system would run out of money. In 1983, policy analysts calculated that the system would be bankrupt in 10 years. Fortunately, the system did not go bankrupt, because law-makers made legislative decisions to change the program. The key changes were as follows: The retirement age limit was raised from 65 to 67 years, to be phased in over time; cost-of-living increases in benefits were delayed; the withholding tax was increased; and the taxable income ceiling was raised. These legislative changes created a surplus in funds that accumulated to cover the increase in the number of retirees for the next 30 years. The 1983 legislative changes averted the solvency cri-sis for several decades.
Recent legislative changes have made the program more responsive to current needs. In 2000, the Senior Citizen’s Freedom to Work Act (P.L. 106-182) was en-
acted. This legislation removed barriers so that seniors could work without having their benefits reduced. The original design of the program was to keep older people out of the workforce because jobs were desperately needed for young people. As demographics shift, there are fewer workers to support the system, and people who are older still want to work. Prior to the 2000 legislative change, income earned after retirement reduced a person’s Social Security benefits. This legislation lifted the cap on earnings. This change is another example of how amending the program ensures its fit with current social welfare needs.
Currently, more than 25 years after the 1983 legislative changes, concern for the financial stability of Social Security is once again receiving political attention. For the past several years, the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survi-vors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds has voiced concern over the financial solvency of the Social Security program. In their 2007 report, they pro-jected that without any changes, the trust funds would be exhausted by 2041. There would still be taxes paid in, so the program would not be bankrupt, but it would run out of the surplus accumulated to cover the growing number of retirees. After 2041, the system would be drawing on current contributions. Based on the board’s projections, from 2041 to 2082 the current rate of contributions would allow payment of 75 percent of anticipated benefits. Having enough revenue for more than 30 years gives policy makers time for planning. However, the program is so important that policy makers should make changes soon. If they do so, bene-ficiaries will not have to deal with changes that they did not anticipate.
THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security seems to be a permanent expectation of Americans of all income levels. To ensure the continuation of the program, some difficult political decisions must be made. Policy makers will have to decide how to keep the system financially solvent as baby boomers grow older and become retirees and as people live longer. The policy choices for maintaining Social Security include cutting benefits, limiting