A House Democrat wants workers in physically demanding jobs to collect full Social Security retirement benefits at 60, seven years before the current full retirement age.
Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan introduced the Blue Collar Social Security Fairness Act on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. The bill would cover occupations such as construction, roofing, nursing and manufacturing. It would have the Social Security Administration set the list of qualifying jobs and update it every three years.
“Michiganders who work with their hands shouldn’t be forced to wait until their bodies give out to retire,” Stevens said in a statement. “If we want to honor the dignity of work in this country, we need to lower the retirement age for physical laborers.”
Workers born in 1960 or later reach full retirement age at 67. They can claim as early as 62 at a permanently reduced rate, and each year of delay past 67, up to 70, raises the monthly check 8%.