How to Improve Social Security for Women

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this is true and really held in many places

mukul of DE 6:02AM April 22, 2013

thank you forn this informative report

catherine dodd of CA 2:11AM May 14, 2012

I am happy to see that someone is asking questions about how SS benefits can be modified to provide better for caregivers who stop working to raise children or help their aging parents and for widows who lose a portion of their income after a spouses death. I wonder why no one ever asks about what happens to those who stayed at home for a decade or more raising children only to have their husband leave them for someone new. Most of these women don't end up with house or alimony for life, at least not anymore. Now the standard is five year support and no one talks about the loss of benefits yet to come. So while may they receive half their husbands benefit without him seeing any decrease in his benefit, they will never be able to recover.

jo of IL 11:15PM May 13, 2012

These would be excellent changes. However, whether they are made into law will depend on who is elected President and who is elected to the Senate or House. If the majority is the GOP, we will not get these changes & if fact, they want to take even more from SS & Medicare. Don't think party people, think of those who will be helping YOU, not destroying your life, and vote accordingly.

Linda Dawson of TX 12:37PM May 13, 2012

I think credit for caregiving is especially important as many of us in the so-called sandwich generation care for kids, grandkids, and parents. In addition, the loss of social security income when one loses a spouse is a double blow - both personal and financial - making it difficult for the surviving spouse to transition to the rest of his or her life.
Nancy Driscoll
www.boomernewsnet.com

Nancy Driscoll of NC 10:27AM May 13, 2012

According to Frederick E. Allen, writing for the Saturday Evening Post, and the Leadership Editor of Forbes Magazine, beginning in December 2008:
"...the system {Social Security} is hardly on the brink of collapse, as some claim. No one can say exactly how fast the trust fund will diminish, but the Social Security Administration and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) both estimate that if nothing is done it will last until around 2036. "
"But even in that extreme case, Social Security will be able to pay out as much as it takes in. It just won’t be able to pay recipients 100 percent of what they get now; instead, they’ll get something like 76 percent."
It is interesting that Mr. Allen was once an editor for the Heritage Foundation, a Republican Think Tank, now has a very different view of Social Security than his Conservative colleagues. Wonder how he came to decide to defend Social Security in the face of Conservative disapproval of continuing the Social Security Program....
I DO know that Mr. Allen feels that Social Security can be fixed, which is NOT what Mitt Romney claims. MItt Romney claims that S.S. has "defrauded" the American people. Rick Perry, not long ago, called S.S. a "Ponzi Scheme," and "a monstrous lie." which has been proven, however, NOT to be true.
Frederick E. Allen's Views on Social Security:
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/02/28/in-the-magazine/trends-and-opinions/social-security.html

ann keenan of MI 7:50PM May 12, 2012

Sounds like a good idea, and the extra expense should come from an increase deduction in social security from all the women currently in the work force.

Equalitybothways of WA 5:35PM May 12, 2012

I understand the concerns here, but there is nothing regarding how the SS system is supposed to pay for the increased benefits. SS is currently running a negative cash flow (more money going out than coming in). Any serious discussion about SS also needs to address the funding issues.

Bob of TX 11:02AM May 12, 2012

Great information. Thank you for sharing.

Amy Ziettlow of LA 3:41PM May 11, 2012

It's about time we changed the Social Security conversation. This report is a step in the right direction: http://www.ncpssm.org/entitledtoknow/?p=2340

Jackie of VA 12:36PM May 11, 2012