Social Security fairness

I was pleased to see Sallye Sickman’s letter (4/8, “Begone with the ‘windfall’“) regarding H.R.235, the Social Security Fairness Act. I, too, have been hit hard by the present laws.

I worked two and three jobs for many years to support my family while going to night school to complete my degrees. When I took a position in education, I kept my night job for an additional 11 years.

My reward? A deduction of about $1,250 a month on my Social Security, leaving me barely enough to cover the Medicare payments.

There is something wrong with a system that punishes hard work while rewarding many with no desire to even get a job. No wonder our country is in so much trouble these days.

Ken Baker
Polo, Mo.

Comments

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Soc.Sec is a scam, nothing short of a Ponzi scheme.

[RosieBuckeye]

Yes I know that it's considered Old Age Survivor's Disability Insurance. The lump sum death payment was never intended to be annuity paid to survivors -- from socialsecurity.gov:

The origins of the Lump Sum Death Benefit (LSDB) were in the original 1935 legislation, although not intended to be a "burial benefit" as such. The concern in the 1935 Act was the equity for individuals who died prior to retirement age (65 at the time). And since there were no survivors benefits in the original program, a provision was added to award a LSDB to the survivors in the amount of 3.5 % of the individual's covered earnings.

Eventually it became a death benefit that is paid to the "living in the same household" widow or to minor/disabled adult children entitled on the deceased's record. Yes its not much but the public came to expect the payment and rather than legislatively rescind it -- it has not been increased since 1982.

[pmcw]

"So matter what color of race you are - if you work and pay into SS your loved ones will receive the lump sum death benefit and monthly benefits."

Not exactly. Sure, oh boy, $255 lump sum. What I'm talking about is something heirs can inherit. Yep, a spouse will continue to receive a benefit. However, adult kids will get nothing - nada.

If you have an interest in learning how SS (OASDI as it's called inside the beltway) works, see:

www.nextinning.com/socialsecurity2.php

[RosieBuckeye]

You are all idiots who do not understand what you are talking about. First the lump sum death payment is made to individuals who have earned a minimum amount of credits by working. If an individual is young - under the age of 24 - he or she needs only 6 credits. 6 credits is 1.5 years of work earning at least $4000 per year - not much. So matter what color of race you are - if you work and pay into SS your loved ones will receive the lump sum death benefit and monthly benefits.

Now in terms of Ken's benefits. I seriously doubt that Ken's SS benefit has been cut by $1250 per month. Ken is subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) which applies a modified formula to his SS benefit. Since Ken worked part time and paid into SS for somewhat over 11 years - even if he wasn't subject to WEP, his benefit would be no where near $1250 per month anyway. SS retirement benefits are a calculated as an average of an individual's highest 35 years of work -- Ken would had to have had an exceptionally high paying nite job to have earned a benefit of $1250 per month.

[Stifled Freedom]

Well, the needed the extra money to chase prostitutes. Somebody had to pay for those 175 FBI agents.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Where did you ascertai that bogus falsehood from? The one time death benefit is whopping $255 anyway.
Social Security should be 100% voluntary. Those that trust incompetent government politician lawyer crooks and a negative ROI, go for it. There are many of us that can decide for ourselves what is best.

[pmcw]

Amen Ken. Here's something the SS supporters don't talk about - SS is patently discriminatory toward blacks and Hispanics. There is no death benefit. Therefore, if you die young, you get the short end of the stick. Statistically, blacks and Hispanics don't live as long as whites or Asians.

Those who would like to partially privatize SS favor equalizing this racial gap.