Since the Social Security Act became law in 1935, Congress has expanded eligibility and payments multiple times. In the immediate moment, we want to join with others in the fight to preserve Social Security. In the longer context, we want the expansion of Social Security to continue to include more benefits for more people.
Right Now
- We demand NO cuts and NO privatization of Social Security.
- We demand full restoration of Social Security staff.
In the Longer Context
- We demand Social Security payments that provide a living wage income.i
- We demand that everyone pay their fair share, including removing the cap on income.ii
- We demand that everyone who pays into the system, including undocumented people who pay in, but currently cannot collect, receive their benefits.iii
- We demand that farm workers and domestic workers be fully included in the Social Security system.iv
- We demand that unwaged labor, such as in prisons and in homes, be included in the Social Security system.v
Brief Overview of the Social Security Program
In 1935, New Dealers created the Social Security Administration (SSA) to address the need for income of retired workers, injury-disabled workers, and congenitally disabled persons. Workers’ and employers’ contributions fund the system through OASDI (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) tax deducted from paychecks. In the past 90 years, survivors, dependents, and disabled workers have also become eligible. Since 1972 a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) has increased payments annually.vi
Historically and contemporarily, many agricultural and domestic workers, disproportionately people of color and women, have been excluded from Social Security. Some state and local government employees are excluded from Social Security because they are covered by public pensions.vii
Of all government programs addressing elders’ needs, Social Security comes closest to its stated goals. It’s this government’s most efficient, cost-effective program, at the center of elders’ lives and survival.viii
- Nearly 9 out of 10 people aged 65 and older received a Social
Security benefit last year.
- More than 90% of U.S. citizens over age 65 rely on Social Security for a third of their income. For about 40% of recipients, the benefit represents at least half their income. Almost 15 % of recipients rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.
The Social Security Administration’s performance has been remarkable, with continuous, uninterrupted payments made monthly during its 90 year history. Today, SSA has a reserve of nearly $3 trillion, collects $1.3 trillion in tax payments every year, and spends about $1.6 trillion.
That money is what the Trump Administration is going after and they have done it by
- Firing over 7,000 people from the SSA workforce, severely cutting service, particularly to the 47% of elders who have disabilities.ix
- Lowering the yearly COLA increase in Social Security funding, which puts it even more out of step with cost-of-living levels.x
- Constantly spreading vicious lies about “fraud” in the system and Social Security being an “entitlement”.xi
- Constantly floating the feasibility of privatizing the entire
system.xii
- Vigorously opposing the idea of all salary income being included as Social Security wages.xiii
i For definition and calculations: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/carow/carow-policy/what-living-wage.
ii If, for example, the cap (currently $176,100) for Social Security payments had not existed, the approximately 6% of U.S. workers who earn more than Social Security’s taxable maximum would contribute more than $388 billion to Social Security annually: https://larson.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/many-rich-americans-have-already-paid-their-2025-social-security-taxes.
iii In 2022, 10.9 million undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in taxes. Combined, they contributed more than Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and 55 mega-corporations. https://americansfortaxfairness.org/undocumented-immigrants-contribute-economy/
iv https://www.nelp.org/app/uploads/2021/05/NELP-Testimony-FLSA-May-2021.pdf
v One report estimates the annual value of unpaid labor in the home at $1 trillion, with women doing two-thirds of the work: https://nationalpartnership.org/americans-unpaid-caregiving-worth-1-trillion-annually-women-two-thirds-work/.
vi For more details on the history of Social Security (on the Internet Archive):
https://www.nasi.org/learn/social-security/key-dates-in-the-history-of-social-security
vii https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v70n4/v70n4p49.html
viii https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2024/fast_facts24.html
ix https://www.reuters.com/world/us/social-security-may-lose-thousands-more-staff-under-new-trump-rule-2025-04-25/
x https://www.asppa-net.org/news/2024/10/2025-cola-increase-for-social-security-modest-says-ssa/
xi https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-trumps-blatant-lies-about-social-security-must-not-go-unanswered and https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/trump-musk-doge-disinformation-campaign-social-security/
xii https://larson.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/social-security-path-privatization-experts-warn-led-elon-musks-doge
xiii The right wing rationale for eliminating the cap:
https://manhattan.institute/article/problems-with-eliminating-the-social-security-tax-cap and the left response: https://cepr.net/publications/unfair-cap-means-millionaires-stop-contributing-to-social-security-on-february-28-2023/