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Among the various proposals for bolstering Social Security is raising the retirement age at which Americans can claim full benefits. One lawmaker instead wants to lower it.

Stevens has said that lowering the retirement age for blue-collar workers is necessary to help those who may struggle working into their 60s, given that such jobs are often physically demanding.

A new proposal would lower Social Security’s full retirement age for some workers in physically demanding jobs.

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, introduced the ‘Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act’ this week. The bill would change full retirement age (FRA) – the point at which people can qualify for full Social Security benefits – to 60 for people in fields such as construction, roofing, manufacturing and nursing.

Under the bill, the Social Security Administration would set a list of qualifying jobs and update it every three years.

The Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act was introduced by Representative Haley Stevens, a Michigan Democrat, Thursday. The bill would allow Americans who work with their hands to collect full Social Security retirement benefits when they turn 60.

“I look forward to bringing together my colleagues in Congress to fix this glaring issue for Michigan workers, strengthen Social Security, and ensure its solvency for generations of Americans to come,” said Stevens.

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.

“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.”

Almost 40% of working U.S. civilians work a job that requires lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and other physically demanding activities.

Some Americans working in physically demanding jobs could claim full Social Security retirement benefits at age 60 under a new bill introduced in Congress.

The proposal would create an exception to existing Social Security rules for workers who have spent enough of their careers in physically demanding jobs, allowing them to receive unreduced retirement benefits seven years before the current full retirement age.

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., on Wednesday introduced a new bill that would lower Social Security’s full retirement age for workers in physically demanding jobs.

Currently, the earliest Social Security retirement age is 62, though beneficiaries receive reduced monthly checks for starting that soon. By waiting until full retirement age — that’s 67 for individuals born in 1960 or later — they may receive 100% of the benefits they’ve earned.

Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens on Wednesday announced proposed legislation — the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act — that would allow people with physically demanding jobs to collect full Social Security benefits at age 60.

“Michiganders who work with their hands shouldn’t be forced to wait until their bodies give out to retire,” Stevens said.

“Hostages lose freedom. That means I wasn't earning an income. I wasn't saving for retirement,” Whelan told NPR.

Whelan said that when he returned home, his home and cars were gone and he had to rebuild his life.