Social Security's "Last Chance" Change? Don't Buy the Hype
Okay, so I'm seeing headlines about how 2026 is the "last time" Social Security's full retirement age (FRA) is changing. Last chance for what, exactly? For those of us who aren't already collecting, it just means we get to work longer for the same damn benefits. Or, more accurately, shrinking benefits thanks to inflation.
The Goalposts Keep Moving
Let's be real, the whole "phased-in" increase to the full retirement age is a scam. They tell us it's to "shore up" Social Security. Translation: they screwed up the budgeting decades ago and now we're paying for it. People born between 1943 and 1954 could retire with full benefits at 66. Now, anyone born in 1960 or later has to wait until 67. One more year of soul-crushing labor, just so the government can kick the can down the road.
And they’re trying to spin this as good news? Please.
It's like telling someone their commute is only going to get one hour longer instead of two. Thanks, I guess? But I'm still stuck in traffic. "Retirees have faced a de facto benefit cut," the article admits. Ya think?!
Is 70 the New 65?
But here's the kicker, and this is what really gets my goat: the UK is already talking about raising their state pension age to 70 within five years. Seventy! Five freaking years! State Pension could suffer ‘dramatic’ change — It could reach 70 within 5 years
The justification? People are living longer. As if that's some kind of personal failing on our part. Like we're deliberately trying to bankrupt the system by not dying on schedule. Let's be clear offcourse; living longer isn't a guarantee of healthy living. More years doesn't automatically equal more productive years.
And what happens to those who can't work until 70? The disabled? The chronically ill? The ones whose bodies just give out after decades of physical labor? Are they just supposed to starve?
It’s all smoke and mirrors, designed to hide the fact that the system is unsustainable without serious reform. And by "reform," I mean raising taxes on the ultra-rich, not squeezing every last drop of labor out of the working class.
The Triple Lock Deception
The UK government patted itself on the back for guaranteeing the "Triple Lock," which ensures an annual increase to the weekly rate. Oh, how generous. But what good is a slightly bigger check if you have to wait until you're practically geriatric to cash it? It's like offering a bigger slice of a rapidly shrinking pie.
One pensions expert suggests reforming the State Pension age so people can expect to receive benefits for a set period, like 20 years. So, work longer, contribute more, and then… die on cue? I mean, come on.
Then again, maybe I'm being too cynical. Maybe the politicians actually have our best interests at heart. Nah, who am I kidding?
Conclusion Title: More Like Social *Insecurity*
So, what's the real story? They're slowly but surely dismantling Social Security, piece by piece, and trying to convince us it's for our own good. It ain't.