The Social Security trust fund is expected to run out of money by 2032. This problem is caused by a combination of changing population trends and a decrease in tax revenue due to the growing gap between high and low incomes.

預計社會保障信託基金將於 2032 年耗盡。這個問題是由於人口趨勢的變化，以及高低收入差距擴大導致稅收減少所共同造成的。

The current financial instability is caused by several demographic and structural factors. While an aging population and lower birth rates have reduced the number of workers supporting each beneficiary, the program's funding system has not kept up with economic changes. Specifically, the payroll tax cap—currently set at $184,500—means that a smaller percentage of total national wages are being taxed. Reports show that the taxable share of wages dropped from about 87% in 1984 to 83% by 2026, because the earnings of the wealthiest workers grew much faster than those of the general workforce.

目前的財務不穩定是由於幾個人口和結構性因素造成的。雖然人口老化和出生率下降減少了支持每位受益人的勞動力人數，但該計畫的資金體系未能跟上經濟變化。具體而言，薪資稅上限（目前設定為 184,500 美元）意味著全國總薪資中被課稅的比例有所下降。報告顯示，由於最高收入者的薪資增長速度遠快於一般勞工，可課稅的薪資比例從 1984 年的約 87% 下降至 2026 年的 83%。

Historical data suggests that the laws passed in 1983 did not predict these changes in the job market. At that time, experts assumed that the distribution of wages would remain stable, which later led to an unexpected loss in revenue. The Roosevelt Institute emphasized that real earnings for the top 6% of workers increased by 62% between 1983 and 2000, whereas the other 94% only saw a 17% increase. Consequently, more income moved above the taxable limit.

歷史數據顯示，1983 年通過的法律並未預見就業市場的這些變化。當時專家假設薪資分佈將保持穩定，這導致隨後出現了意料之外的收入損失。羅斯福研究所強調，在 1983 年至 2000 年間，頂端 6% 的勞工實際收入增加了 62%，而其餘 94% 的人僅增加 17%。因此，有更多收入超過了課稅上限。

Different experts disagree on how to fix this problem. Some organizations, such as the AARP and the Roosevelt Institute, suggest changing or removing the tax cap to recover lost funds. Other proposed solutions include raising the retirement age or changing how cost-of-living increases are calculated. The Social Security Administration asserts that removing the tax cap could close between 22% and 67% of the funding gap.

不同專家對於如何解決此問題持有分歧。某些組織（如 AARP 和羅斯福研究所）建議修改或取消稅收上限以回收流失的資金。其他提出的方案包括提高退休年齡或更改生活成本增加額的計算方式。社會保障局聲稱，取消稅收上限可填補 22% 至 67% 的資金缺口。

If the government does not take legislative action, the program will likely have to reduce monthly benefits by 22% for approximately 70 million people after 2032.

如果政府不採取立法行動，2032 年之後，約 7,000 萬人的每月福利可能會被削減 22%。