The power and promise of Social Security at 90
The vital lifeline for tens of millions of Americans everywhere – including almost 1.2 million Alabamians – used for housing, groceries, gas, and the other everyday necessities is about to mark its 90th birthday. And with that anniversary comes a responsibility to strengthen the program – and determine how we can help it age in the healthiest way.
As the bedrock of retirement in America, our financial future depends on protecting Social Security for decades to come.
Social Security will face challenges in the years ahead, but it’s incumbent on us to ensure the program continues to work for the 67 million Americans across the country who rely on it.
The history of the program shows us how necessary it is for the healthy retirement of Americans everywhere. On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, and in January 1935 Ida M. Fuller, the first person to receive Social Security, collected a monthly check of $22.54 – that’s $518.58 in inflation- adjusted dollars.
From that beginning, the program now provides $1.4 trillion in retirement security. It is the only inflation-adjusted retirement program, and it guarantees that Americans everywhere know they can plan soundly for retirement. That’s nationwide.
Here in Alabama, 1,179,481 people collect Social Security benefits, and 326,000 Alabamians are lifted out of poverty by it every month. Social Security helps Alabamians live and retire with dignity, offers crucial support to those with disabilities, and serves as a financial lifeline for families navigating the loss of a loved one.
Social Security will never “go broke.” That’s a fact. Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. As long as there are workers paying into Social Security, there will be Social Security for those collecting benefits. The program is funded by payroll taxes and will continue to pay benefits.
But the program does face funding challenges. The most recent Social Security Trustees’ Report finds that the surplus will run out in 2035. To prevent that shortfall, Congress must once again step up – as it did when it reformed the program in 1983 – before millions of Americans are left with less than they’ve earned.
Customer service is another area where Social Security is facing challenges. Administrative chaos at the Social Security Administration this year has contributed to a customer service crisis that has been ongoing for years. SSA has struggled with call wait times, hold times, customer service resolutions and staffing issues, according to SSA’s own data. Many Americans who need access to the program face hours on the phone or in line at their local offices. And budget and staffing levels have strained SSA’s ability to provide vital services.
This year, wait times are on the rise, fewer people can reach a Social Security representative to meet their needs, and this challenge emerges just as more people – approximately 10,000 people every day – are retiring.
The new Social Security commissioner would be well served by re-committing the Social Security Administration to providing timely, efficient and effective customer service. SSA needs to be clear when communicating any possible changes, and what effects lower staffing levels will have. And Congress needs to provide oversight to ensure that customer service is prioritized at an agency that has struggled to serve Americans everywhere.
Throughout our history at AARP, we have worked with every Administration and Congress, regardless of party, to protect and strengthen Social Security. More than 69 million Americans everywhere rely on this vital program, and for 90 years, Social Security has been the foundation of retirement in the United States.
It’s imperative to ensure the strength of this Social Security not just for another 90 years, but for generations upon generations
to come.
DeeAnn Caudel is AARP Alabama state president.
