Social Security retirement age would be would lower for ‘blue collar’ workers under proposed bill: What that means

As things stand, any American born in 1960 or later can’t access their full Social Security benefits until the age of 67. A new bill is hoping to change that. 

On Wednesday, Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens of Michigan introduced the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act. The bill would allow workers in “physically demanding jobs” to access their full Social Security retirement benefits at the age of 60. 

“Michiganders who work with their hands shouldn’t have to work until their bodies give out to retire,” Stevens said in a statement shared on X. “If you put in the work, you deserve the retirement you earned.”

If passed, the bill would require the Social Security Commissioner to create a list of qualifying occupations within a year and subsequently update it every three years. 

What is a ‘blue collar’ job?

According to the bill, “an occupation shall be determined to qualify as a physically demanding job if the occupation, as a condition of employment, imposes on an individual substantial physical demands that may be reasonably expected to diminish the ability of the individual to perform such occupation, or other occupations imposing substantial physical demands, at an advanced age.” 

Qualifying jobs could include construction, nursing, and farming—to name just a few. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 39.1% of working U.S. civilians work in physically demanding jobs. 

Individuals wouldn’t have had to spend their whole career in these positions, but will get more points toward retirement for each year they did one.

For instance, working in a physically demanding job when you were 18 to 34 would give you 0.5 points per year, while doing it at 55 or older would get you two points per year. You would qualify for retirement benefits at 60 if you have 15 points overall. 

Points would be awarded to you for any year that you worked a physically demanding job at least eight months out of 12. 

Social Security is in trouble either way

With all of that said, access to Social Security benefits is at risk for every retiree. Current estimates show that Social Security’s reserves will be depleted as soon as 2032, leading to less benefits for many people.