Don't Let the Government Cut Your Social Security Benefits.

I spoke a couple weeks ago on this blog about how Social Security Disability and SS Retirement was going to run out of money sooner than you thought, and how I expected the government to see reducing your benefits and raising the retirement age as the way to address this problem. Well, I was reading on the Internet today that part of the president's plan was to do just that. I wish I knew where I read it so I could point to the article, but I as many of us do, I was skipping around and lost the article. Anyway, keep your ears open for politicians to start touting this idea as something that needs to be done. I think it is time we remind the politicians, that if they have not been taking money from the Social Security fund the problem would not be nearly as serious. We pay a separate Social Security tax and this is not part of the general tax revenue of the United States. And yet many politicians see reducing these benefits and raising the retirement age as a way to reduce our deficit and supposedly save the Social Security system. The government has plenty of discretionary spending plans made in recent and past years that could be reduced or eliminated to help with this problem without having to affect the Social Security system. If we don't write our senators and congressmen this will happen. As the results of the last election show the majority of Americans believe we need to stop spending money and at the same time produce jobs for all Americans. However, don't let the politicians take an easy way out by limiting your safety net which is the Social Security system. I do not claim to have all the answers but we all know how much money the federal government has wasted over the last several years on less important things than the Social Security system. Let your voice be heard and tell your local Congressman and Senators to cut their pork barrel spending and not the Social Security system. If we do nothing I strongly believe those of you who are on Social Security disability or retirement benefits will see cuts of those benefits, and those of you who expected to retire will have to wait longer. I also would not be surprised to see an effort by the government to make it more difficult to win a Social Security disability claim. It is hard enough to win a Social Security disability claim with the rules as they are now. The disabled and retired cannot afford to have their benefits reduced because the government does not know how to control their spending. I hope I am wrong but when I read that article I saw the writing on the wall.

Baby Boomers Affect on Social Security Disability

One very important reason there has been so many process improvements at SSA is because of the expected explosion of cases from the baby boomer generation. I expect that the improvements in the process especially the move to electronic files will do allot to help but I think we can expect longer delays in processing time just due to the sheer number of cases that are expected in the coming years. Another problem with this increase in cases will be the financial health of the Social Security Administration. The days of ignoring the financial crisis of SSA is coming to an end. I believe over the next few years even the politicians will have to pay attention and actually take steps to fund the Social Security System. I don't pretend to have the answers on how this will be done but it must be addressed if this extremely important program is to continue.