This is an issue that needs to be examined thoroughly. It is one that your Congressional Representative and Senators can pursue.

19.2 Minority populations have a shorter life expectation. What are the prospects of having earlier eligibility for those groups? They pay into the system and are not around to collect benefits as long as the majority population.

Minority groups have lower life expectancies at present because of differences in economic conditions and education. The lower life expectancies of persons with low incomes and education, regardless of race, do mean that Social Security benefits are paid to them for shorter-than-average periods, but this is more than offset by the weighted benefit formula, which pays relatively larger benefits to low earners, than to higher ones (and also the disability and survivor benefits are relatively more valuable to low earners than to higher ones).

19.3 How does the full-benefit retirement age move up to 67 years?

The 1983 Social Security Amendments provided for an increase in the retirement full-benefits age from the present 65 to 67 by 2027. Beginning in 2003, such age will begin to increase by 2 months per year until it reaches age 66 in 2009. Under current law, it would remain at age 66 from 2010-2020, when it will again increase by two months per year until reaching age 67 in 2027.

19.4 The Social Security Administration will have to start paying benefits out of the interest income starting in 2013. Are you assuming a similar rate of retirement from the Baby Boomer generation? Will we have as many retiring? Will they be working longer in the future as we move away from a manufacturing base to a service economy?

The full-benefits retirement age is scheduled under current law to increase for baby boomers. Depending on when they were born, the full-benefits retirement age applicable to them could be as high as age 67. There are many proposals in various Social Security reform plans to increase such age to 68 or 70. It is not correct that the interest income of the trust funds will first be used to pay benefits in 2013; some such income is so used currently.

19.5 How does choosing age 62 benefits affect long-term benefits?

Choosing age 62 as the age at which to retire will result in an actuarial reduction in benefits of about 20%. Early retirement generally provides beneficiaries with about the same total Social Security benefits over a lifetime because they are received over a longer period than retirement at age 65.

19.6 Will there continue to be an early retirement (reduced) option even if it is raised from the present age, 62?

Under the current reform proposals, there will still be an early retirement option. However, under some proposals, it will also increase beyond age 62 as the full-benefit retirement age increases.

19.7 Would the existence of national health care affect the issue of the age when people would be eligible for Social Security?

Not very likely.

19.8 Raising the full benefits retirement age can keep people working who should not be working. What will we do with a senile American work force?

It is believed that people's ability to work at ages 65 and over in the future will increase as life expectancy increases.

19.9 Why shouldn't the early retirement age of 62 be raised, as well as the full benefits retirement age?

Some proposals would do this.

19.10 Who is affected by the increase in the retirement age?

People born after 1937.

19.11 If the retirement age rises, will that raise the unemployment rate among younger workers?

This is an issue that has not been researched extensively as of now.