Congress Bill Would Cut Retirement Age to 60 for Some Workers

A new bill in Congress would lower Social Security's full retirement age from 67 to 60 for workers in physically demanding jobs, according to retirement experts who reviewed the proposal.

The legislation would create what experts describe as a two-tiered system among workers, with some gaining access to full benefits seven years earlier than others based on the physical demands of their occupations.

Retirement experts warned the change, if enacted, could put additional strain on the trust fund that backs the Social Security system. The program's finances have long faced projections of shortfall, and accelerating benefit claims for a subset of workers would add pressure to that balance.

The proposal also raises definitional questions that experts flagged: determining which jobs qualify as physically demanding would determine who gains access to the earlier retirement threshold.

For now, the bill remains a proposal. Its fate in Congress will determine whether the two-tiered structure experts describe becomes law or stays a talking point in the broader debate over Social Security's future.