Social Security is one of the most contentious programs Americans have access to, and with the presidential election looming closer every day, everyone is weighing in with their views on the matter. The main bone of contention seems to be the age at which benefits can be accessed, with the earliest age being 62.
Not everyone agrees to this being the norm, now or for the future, and one of the loudest voices lately has been lawyer and political commentator Ben Shapiro, on an episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” declared it “insane” that the U.S. hasn’t raised the official retirement age.
“[President] Joe Biden has technically been eligible for Social Security and Medicare for 16 years, and he wants to continue in office until he is 86, which is 19 years past when you would be eligible for retirement.” A rare compliment from the Right-wing pundit to the president.
The compliments stopped soon, when Shapiro indicated his disagreement with the 2025 budget proposal by the president and the idea of raising taxes on high earners to pay for Social Security and Medicare. According to the pundit, there are not enough high-income taxpayers for the idea to work. “Frankly, I think retirement itself is a stupid idea unless you have some sort of health problem,” to that, he added that a life without purpose made “things go to hell in a handbasket real quick.”
His opinions are harsh and come from a undeniable privileged background, but it is true that life expectancy has been on the rise for decades and that the program was not set up for a majority of Americans to be able to use it. When in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created the standard retirement age at 65 under the newly established Social Security Act, the average life expectancy was 60.7 years. Today it has risen to 76.4 years, more than 15 years higher than before and so many more Americans are claiming the benefits.
Based on this, Shapiro believes that even if you work for 45 years, retiring and receiving Social Security benefits sufficient enough to support yourself for another 20-plus years is “not fiscally sustainable” and probably will not even be enough to comfortably live on.
The future of Social Security
According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly Social Security check is $1,907, and the current federal poverty level sits at $15,060 annual income, which is not that far off.
Having said that, for most people, retiring early or at all is not an option as they do not have enough money to survive on their pension alone, and those who can retire early in good health don’t usually start claiming benefits at such an early age.
Most Americans know that it is economically advantageous to wait until Full Retirement Age to start claiming, and even waiting until they turn 70 for an even higher pension. This does leave a few years in between retirement and a pension where income can be up in the air, but suggestions of beginning a second career or pursuing contract work or a new passion are not new and have been widely adopted by those entering their golden years in good health.
Plus, while statistics may state that 1 in 5 Americans over 50 do not have any additional savings for retirement, 4 out of 5 do and the number increases every day as citizens become more aware of the country’s financial situation. Others have chosen to downsize and move to a smaller footprint home or a cheaper state once they are not tied down to a job and a location, which can also help reduce their living expenses and stretch their dollars.
Overall raising the retirement age does not seem to be a popular measure despite what political commentators may believe is best.
Read More: Ben Shapiro’s worrying message about Social Security benefits