As Social Security marks its 90th anniversary this August, a milestone that should have been a moment of unbridled celebration, clouds of uncertainty are gathering over the future of the program that’s been a financial lifeline for millions of Americans. While Social Security has been a bedrock of economic security since 1935, experts, advocates, and everyday citizens alike are now grappling with the uncomfortable possibility of substantial benefit cuts within the next decade if Congress fails to act.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the 90th anniversary of Social Security came and went on August 14, 2025, with celebrations tempered by mounting anxieties about the program’s solvency. The numbers are stark: if lawmakers don’t intervene, Social Security’s trust fund is projected to run dramatically short by 2034—a full year earlier than the Social Security Administration had reported in 2024. When that happens, the program’s income will only be enough to pay 77% of scheduled benefits, resulting in a 23% reduction for recipients within eight years.
That’s not just a bureaucratic forecast. For a dual-earning couple retiring in 2033, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the annual benefits cut could reach $18,100. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed into law on July 4, 2025, has further accelerated the depletion of Social Security’s reserves, pushing the possible reduction in benefits to as much as 24% within seven years, according to the think tank’s analysis.
The sense of alarm isn’t limited to policy wonks and editorial boards. A July 2025 AARP survey cited by The Columbus Dispatch found that while a whopping 96% of Americans consider Social Security important, only 36% feel confident about its future. The generational divide is telling: just 25% of those aged 18 to 49 expressed confidence in the program’s longevity, compared to 48% of those 50 and older. Among retirees, 66% said they rely substantially on Social Security, with another 21% indicating they rely on it at least somewhat. The Alliance for Lifetime Income’s July survey found that 58% of Americans aged 45 to 75 fear Social Security will be cut due to recent policy changes, and 52% in that age group feel less confident about the program than they did five years ago.
“People are concerned, people are frustrated, people are scared and we’re talking about taking away, to quote what many of the participants said today, hard-earned money that they have worked for,” U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty told supporters and seniors at a Columbus town hall, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch. Her words echo the sentiments of many Americans facing an uncertain retirement landscape.
For Cathy McLeer, AARP Minnesota State Director, the message is clear: Social Security is not going broke, but it’s not without its challenges. “As long as people are paying into the system, workers like you and I, Social Security will continue to make payments. But it’s not without its challenges. We know that if Congress doesn’t do anything in the next 8, 9, 10 years, those payments will be reduced by 20 percent,” McLeer explained in an interview with MNN.
McLeer’s comments reflect a broader consensus that while the program is not on the brink of total collapse, inaction will force painful choices. The numbers back her up. Since 2010, Social Security has been paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes. The system’s reserves—built up over decades—are being drawn down to cover the gap. If nothing changes, those reserves will be depleted, and the program will only be able to pay out what it collects each year, resulting in immediate and automatic cuts.
Social Security remains a crucial safety net, especially in states like Minnesota. McLeer pointed out that Social Security helps keep 278,000 Minnesotans from falling below the poverty line. “Right now, about 75 percent of those 65 and older who receive those monthly Social Security payments in Minnesota are not paying income taxes on those benefits. That would be something we could look at down the road to see if we need to eliminate all income taxes for Social Security at the state level,” she added. Yet, Minnesota is still one of the states that taxes Social Security benefits, an issue that may become more pressing if federal benefits are reduced.
The political blame game is in full swing, but the reality, as The Columbus Dispatch editorial board points out, is that both major parties bear responsibility for the current predicament. Despite repeated promises from both Democrats and Republicans to protect Social Security, neither side has taken decisive action to secure its long-term future. “Elected officials from both parties have an obligation to fix Social Security. Yet despite having had both the opportunity and the power, neither side has done so,” the editorial board wrote.
What can be done? The Government Accountability Office, Congress’s own investigative arm, has offered several possible solutions. These include slowing the growth of benefits over time, raising the payroll tax rate, or increasing the amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax. Some experts have also suggested gradually raising the retirement age to reflect longer life expectancies and changing workforce dynamics. Each proposal comes with its own set of challenges and political risks, but the alternative—allowing automatic cuts to proceed—would impact 68 million recipients, most of whom are retired workers or their dependents.
Americans’ anxiety about Social Security’s future is palpable and growing. According to The Columbus Dispatch, younger Americans have long been skeptical about the program’s durability, but those concerns are now spreading to older generations as well. The sense of urgency is heightened by the knowledge that Social Security has been a pillar of retirement security for nine decades, with the first benefit checks going out in 1937. The prospect of seeing that legacy eroded by congressional inaction is deeply unsettling to many.
Still, there’s a sense that the coming crisis can be averted—if lawmakers are willing to make tough, perhaps unpopular, choices. “A solution to that heads off the crisis will not be easy to reach, but the undertaking is worth it. Social Security has been there for Americans for nine decades— with Americans’ first receiving benefit checks from their taxes in 1937. If our elected representatives make the decisive acts required of them, it will be there for years to come,” the Dispatch editorial board concluded.
As Social Security enters its tenth decade, the stakes have rarely been higher. The decisions made in the next few years will determine whether the program remains a reliable source of income for future generations—or becomes a cautionary tale of political procrastination. For millions of Americans, the countdown to action has already begun.
