the point. On its current trajectory, the SS trust will run out of funds sometime in 2033-35 to make up the delta between payroll taxes coming in and payments going out.

At that point, the program won’t stop. It just won’t be able to pay out 100% of entitlements, and will be limited to paying out only what it collects in payroll taxes. Which will be approximately 75% of entitlements for the next several decades. This accounts for demographics changes.

If Congress does absolutely nothing to stop the SS trust from draining, this 75% payment is the absolute worst case scenario, short of the government collapsing and the program itself just not being a thing anymore.

If you think that you “won’t see a dime” from SS unless Congress or the President take action you don’t actually know how the program works.