The latest Social Security Trustees report should have sparked headlines across Utah and the country. Instead, it was met with silence. The report warns that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the source of retirement benefits for millions, is on track to run out by 2033. That means in just eight years, unless Congress steps in, every retiree will face an automatic 23% across-the-board benefit cut.
Here in Utah, where nearly 500,000 residents receive Social Security benefits, most of them seniors, this isn’t some abstract federal issue. It’s a real and looming threat to our neighbors, our families and our economy. Social Security isn’t just a line item on a federal balance sheet — it’s a lifeline. It helps Utahns retire with dignity, supports surviving spouses and children, and protects workers who can no longer earn a living due to disability.
And yet, year after year, Washington kicks the can down the road.
Too often, elected officials use “protecting the program” as an excuse for inaction, refusing to engage in serious discussions about the program’s future. But the longer Congress delays, the worse the options become. We have fewer working-age people supporting a growing number of retirees. When the trust fund dries up, Social Security won’t be allowed to pay out more than it takes in. For a retired couple in Utah, that could mean losing more than $17,800 per year in benefits.
The Utah Taxpayers Association has long advocated for responsible, sustainable fiscal policy. We believe that reforming Social Security now, while we still have time, will allow us to make gradual, fair adjustments. But every year of delay means steeper changes and heavier burdens on future Utah workers and taxpayers.
We’ve seen this coming for decades. People are living longer, having fewer children and drawing more out of the system than they paid in. In 1950, 16 workers supported each Social Security beneficiary. By 2035, it will be just two.
Utahns know how to solve tough problems. In our state, we balance budgets, think long-term and demand accountability. We need Washington to do the same. We’ve done it before: In 1983, a divided Congress and a Republican president came together to reform Social Security and extend its life. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary, and it worked.
The 2025 Trustees Report is more than a warning. It’s a wake-up call. We can still fix Social Security, but only if we act now and tell the truth. Utah’s seniors, workers and future taxpayers deserve nothing less.