The Cato Institute, a right wing "think tank", has issued a set of what it calls "essays" on "downsizing" Social Security (lots of quotation marks here but they're all merited):
Social Security Retirement: Social Security faces a huge financing gap because of its pay-as-you-go structure and the aging of the U.S. population. It should be transitioned to a system of personal savings accounts, which would increase individual financial security and help to avert future tax increases.
Social Security Disability Insurance: Growing numbers of Americans are receiving disability benefits, and the system is subject to major abuses. Policymakers should tighten eligibility for the program and explore ways to move it to the private sector.
Supplemental Security Income: This program for low-income and disabled individuals suffers from similar abuses and overspending problems as Social Security Disability Insurance. The financing and administration of Supplemental Security Income should be devolved to the states.
15 comments:
SSI originally was a state program that a huge number of the states had messed up so badly that it was federalized. At least that was the story when they brought us in in 1974 to work SSI.
I wonder what the private sector would say about them being the only game in town for disability benefits. What premiums would be, what payments would be.
SSI is a disaster--a glorified welfare program with benefits way more generous than any other such program in the U.S., and completely unmanageable. Should be sunsetted, with new applicants under state-run programs, as it used to be.
@ 7:22am President Nixon signed SSI(Supplemental Security Income) into law in 1972.
@ 2:23pm Lets see are you talking about Supplemental Security Income? SSI is not Social Security, in any case the $710.00 a month is poverty and SSI should be $265.00 more a month or $975.00 a month at the maximum for those who live alone, like I do, now since SSI is a needs based program that $710.00 a month is a maximum amount, not everyone gets that much, anyone who says it is too much is a CRETIN, a LIAR and an SOB, cause you have never tried living on it, so you do not know what you are talking about!!
I get SSI since I'm severely disabled and I'm unable to work, since 2003, SSI and SSDI have the same strict medical requirements, tightening eligibility requirements? They already REQUIRE Medical Evidence, someones say so will not do, but then you'd know this if you had ever applied and from what you said you'd rather see My throat cut, than treat Me with respect and dignity that as a fellow human I deserve and have a right to...
Under state programs? You know states can't do that anymore, why don't you just advocate to exterminate those who get SSI? Creep ..|..
At least 40,000 have signed the petition to expand Social Security...
“Wish Social Security a happy 78th birthday by supporting efforts to expand benefits, not cut them, and to scrap the cap on funding Social Security, making billionaires pay the same rate as the rest of us.
In the Senate, sponsor the Harkin/Begich/Schatz bill S.567, and in the House, sponsor the House companion bill led by Rep. Linda Sanchez.”
- See more at: http://other98.com/happy-birthday-social-security-now-lets-finally-give-you-a-raise/#sthash.mJZ1Extp.dpuf
Sorry, anon 3:53, I worked in SSI for over 35 years, I know as much about it as anyone can know, and it pays way more than any other public assistance program in America, and there is a huge amount of waste, and SSA cannot handle it anymore. Sorry. anon 2:23.
Anon 3:53
Title XVI Sec. 1602. [42 U.S.C. 1382] of the Act existed in 1937, and was the basis for the state programs that the 1972 law took over from. Doesn't change the fact that many of us were hired to handle federal claims in 1974. And know all about the prior state run programs from actual experience.
Anon 2:23/6:53 I can literally repeat your background (likely we passed in halls in Woodlawn)yet disagree with you regarding amount of waste or abuse. Try living on $710 a month, and even if it is the most generous program out there, then that's a pretty scary scenario for many. No one honest is getting fat on SSI.
to anon 9:54 pm--I worked in the field, had first-hand, face-to face experience with SSI for over 35 years--no one outside the field can possibly comprehend what an abyss of waste the SSI program has become. There is virtually no quality review/control, and everything is about clearing cases within "tolerances". I get tired of trying to get people to understand, and am now gladly retired.
@ 10:18pm So your angle is one of control of what recipients spend the money on? If that is what you mean by fraud and waste, then thats wrong, as it's not illegal to spend money as that in itself is not a crime, nor do you have the right to get Me to ask for permission to use the money in the way I see fit. Don't like that I spend money on a car or on a house or even on computer parts or on a cat, tough.... Who made you GOD almighty??? Last I looked its not a crime to spend money on stuff that is legal to buy, as I didn't see any restrictions on the use of the money and any effort to do so would be tantamount to saying I should be in prison for crime of being a disabled person. There is nothing wrong or illegal with Me buying something that's not illegal to purchase by anyone else in the US, as that would violate the equal protection clause in that document that's called the US Constitution and its 27 amendments. I also don't need some jerks permission to do so either. If that's what you mean, then bug off.
SSI = HANDOUT, bottom line. What would people do if the money wasn't there? I mean, it's not like they paid into the system with any regularity or they would be on DISABILITY INSURANCE instead.
BTW, if you have enough "extra" money to care for a cat, seems like you okay. By saying you have money to do anything other than pay for household expenses and eat, you're killing your argument that you don't get enough to live.
Federal poverty for 2013 for a household size of one is $11,490.
SSI benefits are $710 a month, which totals $8520 per year. That seems way off the poverty number or minimum wage earner yearly income total until you consider: federal income tax is 10% on income between $0-$8925, 15% for the next bracket; FICA is 6.2%; most all states have an income tax that we'll say is around 5% on average.
SSI benefits are not taxed. Thus, after accounting for the 21.2+% lost from taxes, a minimum wage earner for a 2000-hour year takes home $11,147.25 (this number is on the high end because many municipalities have other taxes on income).
SSI is a program to make sure those who are (supposed to be) completely unable to work and provide for themselves have enough money to live. If we increase SSI benefits such that they are at the level of take-home minimum wage pay (and remember, SSI recipients automatically get Medicaid, something low income workers are almost assuredly not going to get unless they are pregnant or have children in the household), what incentive is there for SSI recipients to attempt a return to work? How many people who only have access to low wage jobs will instead attempt to secure SSI benefits?
We definitely need to increase the standard of living for all but the top 20% or so, but to do so for SSI recipients before low wage earners is a slap in the face of low wage earners. The government should provide for people who are unable to provide for themselves, but not in a way that makes them better off than ANYONE working full time.
@ 7:32am Only cause My rent is low($320.00, it should be $450.00-550.00, but the owner here is kind) cause the park gives Me a discount, to put a window a/c unit in would cost Me almost $500.00, to get the central a/c for the place working would be $6,000.00, to stop some bugs from getting in(I've sprayed and caulked a bit at a time, it wasn't neat or professional) I got an estimate that a new front entry door w/a window for the UHF TV antenna to see through would cost $2,434.00, getting the car a/c working again will cost Me between $300.00 and $600.00 as the repairs are now all under the dash and I live in a hot desert, the least expensive place to live at, I don't have a credit card or enough income for one or even a credit score, the savings limit of $2,000.00 needs to be $10,000.00, just cause I'm disabled doesn't mean things cost less, it's just I'm told accept being with only so much income and to like staring at 4 blank walls, once I was told "you shouldn't be online" or that "you shouldn't own a car or a house" or that "you shouldn't vote" a TV for that matter, I'm surprised some don't want Me housed in a prison cell, $250 to $300 extra per month doesn't go very far, when a refrigerator breaks down and needs to be replaced, they cost more than $500.00 and that's just a simple model, not one with ice and cold water thru the door, same for a clothes washer and dryer, their about $600.00 each and a gas range can cost from $400.00 to $700.00, three windows here need to be upgraded from single pane/aluminum framed to dual pane/vinyl framed and that would cost about $1,100.00 total. Not everyone has the same needs, I want to be like everyone else, yet you say, sorry that isn't allowed. I mean how dare you act all high and mighty...
Thankfully you are in the minority, you are out numbered 3 to 1 and everyday more and more spiteful baggers are dying off...
@ 7:32am So I should by your estimate not have a cat? That I should be alone, that would be cruel and inhumane, why don't you try living alone, see how you like it? Do you even know how much I spend on My cat? I buy corn based cat litter for $10.00 a month and cat food for about $17.00 and that's just $27.00 a month since She's an indoor cat, it's better than blowing My brains out, but I guess you'd love to see Me do that. I can't even buy a replacement car, the current one is 14yrs old, one day soon there will be no more parts for it and it won't pass smog anymore, then what do I do? I can't ride a bus to buy food with since they have a 4 bag limit per passenger or to see My late Brothers family or even to visit His grave, as there is no where to sit while waiting in the desert that would mean I'd have sit on the hot ground and then how do I get up(I weigh about 415lbs and have joint problems from My hips to My ankles, that requires 2 ibuprofen a day just so I can move) and I overheat if I do too much at once, since I'm insulated to a degree, plus My weight in My abdomen pulls on My spine and starts to cause pain, as if I were pregnant. Oh and I have no one to live with as My close relatives are all dead, the 4 that I have left have no room or do not want to have a man under their roof for religious reasons and frankly I don't like being under anyones thumb or being nagged, I had enough of that with My late Mother. Oh and I only get SSI cause of the way SSDI is setup, to screw people out of benefits, the sliding work window is all that kept Me from getting SSDI as I did pay into that and SSI is paid into through income taxes, so please get real and stop the far right uncaring tripe.
@ 12:15pm So I'm not just as important? Prisoners are treated better than I am, Medicaid is a bad joke, Good Doctors don't like getting paid so little, so they refuse service, I could use some surgery that is allowed to get rid of a bulging abdomen cause it causes red painful rashes, yet no doctor within range of where I live will do the work, not unless I have cash and that would be about $5,000.00 and that's $3,000.00 beyond what I'm allowed to have, so much for America having the best Medical system on Earth, I'm for single payer like in the UK or in Canada, for profit Hospitals suck as it ruined Me...
Why don't you stop complaining about what you don't have and try being thankful for what are being given?
Let's play nice.
Sure, SSI has problems. But really what anon 4:02 is arguing against is the COMPLETE idea of welfare.
Yes, SSI is welfare but has strict requirements to obtain. Much stricter requirements than say General Relief, Food Stamps, AFDC, etc. Same MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS as SSDI.
I wonder if anon 4:02 would file for SSDI if disabled. I would b/c I paid into the program. If a person has a legitimate disability, then theoretically you should be for SSI.
I know someone worked in SSI for 35 years knows it has problems. But does that mean SCRAPPING the whole system?
To be fair 4:02, he's only "complaining" because there's people posting on here suggesting he's a good-for-nothing who is living high on the hog because he receives $710 a month from the government.
I really didn't get the idea that people think he's living "high on the hog". It just gets me when people complain about what essentially comes down to a hand out. I know he's disabled and I don't wish that for anyone, but without SSI, what would he do? Get a job? Starve to death?
I've been taking SSI claims for 6 years now and one thing has always bothered me...$710.00 or even half of that amount is usually a lot more that that claimant has gotten in a while. If they had any kind of significant work on their record, they would be on Social Security Disability Insurance. So when they complain about the money not being enough, I have no sympathy. You had nothing, now you have something, isn't America great!?!?
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