Currently, an individual born in the year 1960 or later is not eligible for full retirement until the age of 67. They can start receiving benefits at 62, but their monthly benefit is permanently reduced.

This bill specifically exempts certain blue-collar workers from that reduction. Those with a substantial work history in jobs officially classified as “physically demanding” would be eligible.

“If we want to honor the dignity of work in this country, we need to lower the retirement age for physical laborers.” Stevens said. “If you put in the work, you deserve the retirement you earned.”

There are two ways that individuals can qualify under this proposed legislation. The first is an individual could accumulate 20 years in a physically demanding job that qualifies. You must work in that physically demanding career 8 months out of the year for that year to count.

There is a second option. Each qualifying year counts as one base point which is where the proposal gets a little complicated. If a person reaches 15 adjusted points, they would also qualify. Work performed later in life counts more heavily. Here is the math:

Age while doing qualifying work: Credit per year

18–34: 0.5 point

35–44: 1 point

45–54: 1.5 points

55+: 2 points

For example, imagine a plumbing technician works in the field from age 40 through 54. They would get 5 points for the five years ages 40-44, 15 points for the ten years worked from age 45-54. That would put them at 20 points, which is well above the 15-point requirement.

Another technician who didn't enter the trade until later could qualify quickly. Five qualifying years from ages 55–59 would generate 10 points because each year is worth two points.

This bill could certainly help the plumbing workforce problem by motivating more older individuals to take a look at the trades.

One of the biggest unanswered questions is what actually counts as a physically demanding job. While the bill does not contain a list of such occupations, it instead instructs the social security administration to develop such a list within one year of enactment of the bill and to update that list every three years. The Department of Labor along with the Department of Health and Human Services will be a part of this process.

Stevens specifically cites areas such as construction, roofing, nursing, and manufacturing as examples of the kinds of occupations the legislation is intended to address. 

Stevens said there are two reasons she is proposing this change. The first is that while the current retirement systems treats an office worker the same as an individual doing construction, their ability to continue doing these jobs well into their 60s can be very different.

Stevens also presents it as a workforce-development issue: offering earlier Social Security eligibility could make skilled trades and labor-intensive careers more attractive. 

This bill was recently introduced and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. It has not been voted on by the House or the Senate yet.

The proposal comes as Social Security faces long-term funding challenges. Policymakers have proposed a range of approaches to address the shortfall, including changes to taxes, benefits, or a combination of both.