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AARPMiller
AARPMiller
Contributor ⭐
September 27, 2011

Share your concerns about Social Security

  • September 27, 2011
  • 337 replies
  • 187732 views

1)     In the article,  Social Security Fears, many Social Security myths are addressed. What concerns you the most about Social Security? 

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      A
      AeF427816
      Contributor ⭐
      December 3, 2020

      I am a Senior 71 and have a Social Security account but I am unable to sign in to the account because I never receive a text message on my phone to confirm entry and access to the account. A message never arrives on my phone and I have a good connection and this Text confirmation issue only happens with SS.

      Additionally, I am entitled to a stimulus check and never received #1  one and all my tax returns are current and I qualify. I am still working and contributing to SS and do not understand why this is happening if it is only me or happening elsewhere. Thanks.

      G
      gh5733
      Contributor ⭐
      January 31, 2024

      I was just reading about SS being that it is going broke. I think it is time people on SS need to along with AARP members file a suit against the government. Have our lobbyist to get on politicians to go back to REPAY money taken by the Bush Administration to the tune of 1.7trillion dollars. Giving away so much money to other places time to give the people there money back. That amount would keep SS solvent for many years. When will they pay back with interest like was agreed to.

        T
        TomH634732
        Contributor ⭐
        July 17, 2024

        I strongly agree with you and collect fica on all earnings and don’t let the high earners stop paying at the government set amount. This is so simple but our politicians don’t understand or know how to do it. SS would never be in trouble if this would become.law. If they won’t fix it then we the people will have to petition to get it on the national ballot and vote on it. Congress can’t get anything done anymore so we might have to do it the hard way.

        J
        JerryC389490
        Contributor ⭐
        August 16, 2024

        I am retired postal employee from the old days I started with USPS back when I was paid $1.25 per hour. We did not pay into SSA at that time therefore I understand being non eligible for Soc Sec benefits for that employment. However, I worked and paid into SSA for 20 years not related to USPS and during that time based on my income and how much I paid into Social Security I received annual notice from SSA what my benefit would be upon age 66 or 70 and it’s was always listed as $1200 or$1500 as the years went by. When I became 66 and applied for Soc Sec I was told “Oh no sir, you’re retired USPS and are only entitled to $600 per month max no matter how long or how much you paid in, It’s the law.” I asked how much would a foreign born person who arrived here at age 46 and became a citizen and worked for 20 years at same rate of any I made and paid into SSA how much would their benefit be. I was told $1500.00 per month. But that person’s benefit is not regulated or reduced by Federal law for being a retired postal employee. 

        This is unfair and I want AARP to fight for all of us retired postal employees to be allowed SSA benefits at least equal to what any other person would be entitled to for how much we paid in excluding the ancient USPS employment when we did not pay in. We know we deserve nothing for not paying into SSA, but we sure as heck should be treated equal to all other citizens for amount we did pay in. 

        willAARP go to bat for us? 

          GailL1
          GailL1
          Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
          August 16, 2024

          Here is how your benefit is figured and the reduction table based on other years where you worked and paid into the SS system.

           

          Edited to add the link

          SSA.gov - 2024 - Windfall Elimination Provision

           

          They figure it like this for everybody.  It also explains why.  

          Social Security benefits give as higher return of benefits to LOW INCOME earners - at the time your benefit statements were pulled that is what they were considering you because they did not know that you had employment where you were not paying into the SS system.  If you didn’t pay into the system under the government job the SSA did not know this was the case until you filed for benefits.  

           

          I am pretty sure that those old benefits statements give a caveat about how benefits are figured and since the change in computation in 198?, they mention the WEP.  

           

          It doesn’t matter WHO the person is - they pay in what they pay in over the life of their career, their salary is what it is from year to year, the benefits are figured using the same formula as everybody else - with WEP and GPO included if that is the case.  Low income earners get the increased benefit.

           

          If you had worked those 10 more years and paid into the SS system, your WEP would be lower or disappeared all together.  It is the same for everybody - My neighbor worked for a school system for 25+ year - earned a great pension and also had a side job (self-employed plummer) for 30 years which he paid his taxes and both parts of the SS & Medicare contributions - employee and employee part.  He came out real nice.  He planned this.

           

          Maybe the SSA should give people in your situation the option of paying back the SS withholding on their government salary - employee and employer part + interest too for the number of years that they need to get rid of the WEP deduction.  it would be quite a chunk.  

           

          The only reason for this WEP reduction is to remove/reduce the effects of this low income worker computation in the benefit in the fairest way they can.  Is it right, I don’t know - but probably pretty close.  

           

          We SHOULD have everybody paying into the SS system - no more government job exclusions - even today, we have them in state government - you know why right ?  Cause those governments don’t want to pay the matched portion.  Or they would have to reduce the part going towards the employees pension.  

           

           

          IT‘S ALWAYS SOMETHING . . . . .. . . . Roseanne Roseannadanna
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