10 Things You Didn't Know About Social Security

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I was married to a railroad man for 13 years had 3 children and because I remarried I can't get a dam cent from him and he never had to pay child support. So I live on practically nothing although I worked all of my life.

norma of AZ 6:09PM May 17, 2013

It burns me up that a person can draw off of an ex spouse because they were married for ten years. I have an aunt and sister drawing off of an ex spouse and they both got to sit home on the rear end enjoying life while I was out working holidays, shift work etc. and missing out on my childrens life. I think the government needs to wake up and stop some of their stupid way of thinking. If you don't work and pay into the system then you shouldn't be entitled to benefits. If you have paid into the system and honestly disable then you should be able to draw benefits, however, there are so many people that hire these big time attorneys that know how to get around the system and people end up drawing disability social security that could still be working. I don't feel it's right that a company is allowed to cut your retirement almost in half when you start drawing social security which is what happened to an awful lot of people working for some major companies that I will not mention but grant you I am quite sure some of you know the companies. I don't feel anything is going to change in Washington! The crooks will continue to be able to beat the system and the rest of us hard working souls will continue to pay!

Faye of GA 7:30PM April 25, 2013

Does Social Security Benefits need some adjustments. I am on social security disability. I do receive the benefits under disability. I do understand that the SSA goes by the length of time one works. I was never given the option to work and put back for retirement. I was detected early in my life to have health issues that prevented me from working. I applied for SSI benefits, and was one of the lucky ones to be approved. I have been receiving these benefits for some years now. I am sure that this comes as no surprise to many but I have only received increases about 4 times. Mr. Obama did give us a one time flat amount of 250.00 dollars. This happened when he was elected the first time. Since then a lot of things have changed in the disability offerings. like doctors, vision, womens health issues. If you have been keeping up with Obamas new SSI bill he has chosen to drop some benefits that will not at all effect middle class or upper class . However it effects us that receive disability and medicaid. Obama wants to cut out the needs of womens health care issues and low income individuals. We run into the problem of no doctor wanting to see us. Sure the different program offered have listings several doctors. yet most of them no longer take the medicaid program, and if you are lucky enough and find a doctor or clinic there is no telling how long you will be able to go there. If you are lucky enough to be placed on a list to see a regular doctor, by the time it comes to you they no longer take medicaide I do live on a fixed income and with some of the health issues that I have. I find that I still have to come out of pocket for certain issues. If i have to have a procedure and need prior authorization, it takes months for medecaid to approve them again a stipulation Obama has placed on medical. I do not receive a lot in ssi disability only the necessary cost of living. I do get food stamps that amount is under 100 dollars. this is suppose to feed me for the entire month. I have tried to receive more waited for hours to be seen only to be told that I received a 20 dollar increase in my check so I do not qualify. well with the slight increase I might have gotten it has already covered another expense. so someone try to figure this out SSi check amount of 710 dollars, food credit of 81 dollars. and medical insurance as it appears. try to pay rent, utilites and paper products not covered with food stamps. believe me there is no room for luxuries. where do I find a place to live, with bills paid under the amount I receive and enough food to last a month. can someone do the math as Obama seem to be having issues with this. Increases that are given are gone before we have a chance to notice we received one. do u think anyone can survive on this? My caregiver receives more from social security weekly than I do in the entire month. please take into consideration not everyone gets the same benefits as the low income. some have no choice being on it.

Debra Larrison of TX 10:18AM March 29, 2013

There is no need to "fix" social security. Just keep paying the benefits, and adjust taxation as needed. Do the math, paying the full rate after the trust fund is exhausted will not cost one penny more in taxes than the day before the trust fund is exhausted.
All the calls for reform are just cover for elimination of social security.

Bob Klahn of OH 1:12AM March 14, 2013

THE KEY TO LIVING ON SSI IS ,HAVE YOU'RE HOME PAID FOR.I LEARNED THIS FROM A OLDER FRIEND WHILE LIVING IN CALIFORNIA. I PRECEDED TO PAY MY HOME OFF AND I LIVE FINE IN EAST TN ON 1658.00 A MONTH. I PROMISE YOU RENTS ARE ONLY GOING TO GET HIGHER AS THE POPULATION CONTINUE TO GROW.THERE IS COMING A TIME WHEN THERE IS NOT ANY LAND AVAIABE TO BUILD HOMES.JUST LOOK AT THE RENTS IN NEW YORK AND OTHER CITYS. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY.ALSO IN DOING SO,GO TO DOWN SIZE HOME.THIS REDUCES HIGH UTLITIES. SIGNRD JIM

jim n of TN 12:11PM March 07, 2013

Why is Social Security called an entitlement when it is in my opinion a benefit. Those who pay into social security should receive their fair share of returns. The system was initiated to assure upon retirement a return for their investment and not to give it away for other reasons. We must keep the hands of those who thinks this money is available away from using this fund for their personal use.

Q. W. Pica of MI 2:48PM March 04, 2013

I have been on SSD now for five years. I draw approxmitaly 1700 dollars a month. That is about a fourth of what I was making before I became disabled. I don't understand how they figure how much you draw a month. I had made almost 50 thousand dollars a year for over the last ten years, and had worked for 27 years before I became disabled. I just do not draw enough to live on and pay my bills, I have had to give up my home and just about everything I had prior to my disibility> that God my car was paid for, now it is 11 years old and I draw way less money to ever replace it with. I just don't think It is fair the way they figure your income on ss based on what you made before you became disabled, well I better shut up before I loose what I do draw, then I am left on the street.

Larry Simpson of KY 3:28PM March 01, 2013

I think it is a shame that many of us were forced to retire at age age 62...because of the economy..when we, either, lost our job - or could not find a job...because of our age. Suffice to say, it is a shame that one is not able to receive the money one worked so hard, for. I worked since I was 16 years old... and I now am 66 and will not receive the money I earned...sadly it will go back into a system that coddles people that already have, or have two incomes. It needs to be adjusted. Cutting tax payers in this way causes more poverty..but, if, the job industry hires older people that are intelligent, industrious, punctual, and skill worthy, these problems would not occur for anyone who is retired.

Thyme of CA 12:56PM February 27, 2013

I currently have my benefits deposited into my bank acct. Is that considered an electronic payment? I mean it is almost March 1, 2013, and I don't know if I need to make a change!

Marsha of CA 10:16PM January 28, 2013

Your statement about cost of living increases and where benefits are paid to tells the whole story about entitlements. Social Security is not and was not intended to be an entitlement. Until LBJ took it out of the lockbox and put it into the general fund, Social Security was a prepaid safety net for people who were employed, and for by their employers and the employees, to be paid to the employees and/or their families at age
65. Today i t is used for Welfare programs which are entitlements and have no business being paid for by Social Security.
There s no reason for Social Security to be in trouble i.e.; by "the U.S. Social Security Administration historian. The Social Security program has collected $13 trillion in income and expended $10.6 trillion in payments since the first tax collections began in 1937 through 2007. That's an amount of money that Social Security's first beneficiary, Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vt.—who collected initial payments of $22.54 a month for 35 years—probably never dreamed of. " This being the case, there should be more than 2.4 trillion dollars in the fund, plus future payments from 2007 and the interest that it should have collected from the government which used it for other purposes. I would suggest that the government or its employees are guilty of fiscal maleficents.

Maddison908 of FL 11:21PM January 27, 2013