Social Security Reforms and Poverty Among Older Dual-Earner Couples

Most retirement studies examine older married couples in which the husband is the sole earner. This paper extends the focus of analysis to examine older dual-earner couples. It further evaluates the impact of Social Security reforms on older working couples1 retirement ages and retirement incomes. Specifically, we examine two questions: (1) What are the likely effects of changes in Social Security rules on the retirement decisions of older working women and their husbands? and (2) How are these changes likely to alter the incidence of poverty among retired dual-earner couples? The evidence suggests that benefit reforms intended to bolster the Social Security Administration's financial position are also likely to worsen the economic status of an important minority of dual-earner couples.