Congressional budget experts said Wednesday that Social Security will be running a permanent deficit until about 2037, when the fund will run out of money. The nation’s retirement and disability program suffers from the twin problems of a weak economy with fewer payroll taxes and a growing population of people who need benefits. While many have called for reform, some suspect it will come faster now that the program is in deficit. Social Security has built up $2.5 trillion in surpluses since it was overhauled in the 1980s, and has been supported by that and a 6.2 percent payroll tax, although Congress enacted a tax cut in December that cuts that number down to 4.2 percent. President Obama called for reform in the State of the Union Tuesday night, but he has not acted on his own debt commission’s recommendations.
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