Consumer Agenda for Retirement Security

Initiative #5: Make retirement plans fairer for workers and their spouses

B. Repeal Social Security integration.

Employer-provided retirement plans often account for Social Security in their benefit formulas -- a practice known as integration -- thereby reducing pension benefits to account for employer contributions to Social Security.  Pension benefit reductions due to integration make it more difficult for lower-income workers to attain retirement income security.  The practice of Social Security integration whittles away the already precarious three-legged retirement stool by essentially melding Social Security with pension plans.  The majority of the workers impacted by Social Security integration are lower-paid workers which are often women.  Eliminating Social Security integration will strengthen the three-legged stool of retirement by ensuring that Social Security and employer sponsored retirement plans remain separate but important elements of an adequate retirement.

Learn more about the other initiatives in the Consumer Agenda for Retirement Security.

Initiative 1: Promote a more adequate and secure private retirement income system.
Initiative 2: Empower workers to promote their own retirement security.
Initiative 3: Improve retirement savings plans.
Initiative 4: Improve traditional and hybrid pension plans.
Initiative 5: Make retirement plans fairer for workers and their spouses.

Print the Consumer Agenda for Retirement Security [PDF].