ICYMI: Rep. Haley Stevens Has New Bill to Lower Retirement Age For Americans Who Work With Their Hands

September 25, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act to lower the Social Security retirement age to 60 for workers in physically demanding careers. The legislation would apply to physically demanding occupations, including jobs in manufacturing, construction, roofing, nursing, and more. The Social Security Administration would be responsible for identifying and regularly updating the list of qualifying occupations. Here’s what Michiganders are seeing about Rep. Haley Stevens’ Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act: CNBC: New bill would lower Social Security retirement age for physically demanding jobs By Lorie Konish 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. Yet for blue-collar workers, staying longer in physically demanding jobs in order to reach those age milestones may be difficult, according to Stevens’ proposal. Individuals who have physically demanding jobs are at risk of exiting the workforce earlier than planned, which can interfere with their ability to have a secure retirement, according to 2022 research from the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at The New School. CBS News: New bill would lower Social Security retirement age for some workers By Mary Cunningham 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. "Michiganders who work with their hands shouldn't be forced to wait until their bodies give out to retire," she said in a statement on Thursday in unveiling the legislation in Washington, D.C. Newsweek: Millions of Americans Could Claim Social Security Early Under New Bill By Aliss Hingham 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. “If we want to honor the dignity of work in this country, we need to lower the retirement age for physical laborers,” said Stevens. Fast Company: Social Security retirement age would be lower for ‘blue collar’ workers under proposed bill: What that means By Sarah Fielding 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. MLive: Proposal would lower Social Security’s full retirement age to 60 for some workers By Leada Gore 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. Deadline Detroit: Haley Stevens Introduces Bill To Lower the Social Security Age For Americans With Physically Demanding Jobs By Allan Lengel 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. The Independent: New Social Security bill would lower retirement age to 60 for some workers By Rachel Dobkin 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. Those eligible for full retirement benefits at 60 would include workers in construction, roofing, nursing, manufacturing and other physically demanding jobs WDIV-DET (NBC) — Detroit, MI A new bill in Congress could lower the full Social Security retirement age to 60 for some workers. Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens, introducing the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act, aimed at people in physically demanding jobs like construction, nursing and manufacturing. Under this proposal, workers would need to work a certain amount of years in qualifying jobs to get those full benefits at 60, the current full retirement age is 67. ###