Dire new budget projections and high-stakes policy deadlines mean lawmakers may be forced to take up the issue — or face the consequences of inaction.

Social Security and Medicare will not be able to fully pay benefits in just over a decade if lawmakers don’t act to address the pending shortfalls, according to reports released Monday by the entitlement programs’ trustees.

The financial health of Social Security and Medicare, two of the nation’s most crucial safety net programs, improved this year as a stronger-than-expected economy attracted more workers to the labor market. But the overall financial outlook of the popular programs remained grim.