Under the program, employers pay as little as 1% of the wages paid to their reclassified workers the previous year, rather than the full amount they owe in back taxes.

WSJ: Payroll Audits Put Employers on Edge

Over the full year, the plan had been for spending to rise by almost the same amount (which would still have meant a real terms cut.).

BBC: Budget 2012: A big debate about small numbers

First, you have to realize that when the Social Security folks publish this maximum amount, they are talking specifically about someone who reaches Full Retirement Age in the year being reviewed.

FORBES: How Is The Maximum Social Security Benefit Calculated?