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In reply to the discussion: Social Security Recipients Set to Get Benefit Cuts [View all]Igel
(37,108 posts)The Social Security Fairness Act did the same thing. Increased outlays. Income's fixed, savings are a fixed amount. Simply put, anything that drains assets faster hurts seniors in the not so very long-run. (But it helps current seniors receiving OASDI who are experiencing the urgency of now, of course.)
Inflation did a number, too--yes, it makes the base for the FICA tax higher, but it increased payouts even more.
As for the "per several estimates," Axios cites one--just one--which apparently is so important it achieves "royal they" status. And it's from 2004, with the cuts predicted to occur when the trust fund runs out in, uh, 2039. Not, um, 2032 or 2033. (Yes, the estimate, because of inflation and increased outlays has advanced by 6-7 years. Don't know what that means for the poverty rate among seniors in 2032-3--higher, lower, or the same as predicted in 2004.)
/snark off.
If we'd fixed the problem back in 2004 the fixes would have to be far less extreme.
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