[TomGuy]

I strongly suggest that the Congressman is in error.

Since SS and Medicare have mandatory amounts deducted from wages, that obligates the Government agency to the provisions of the social security and medicare statutes.

I doubt any of the provisions have a rider or provision that exempts the US Government from paying out those benefits when an individual meets the requirements.

[rabscuttle385]

I strongly suggest that the Congressman is in error.

The Congress critter is not.

I suggest you read up on Fleming v. Nestor.

[KarlInOhio]

Since SS and Medicare have mandatory amounts deducted from wages, that obligates the Government agency to the provisions of the social security and medicare statutes.

I doubt any of the provisions have a rider or provision that exempts the US Government from paying out those benefits when an individual meets the requirements.

You are correct as the laws are written now. But laws change. Congress could propose a law today stating: "The Social Security Act and all of its amendments are hereby repealsed." 218 Representatives, 51 Senators and the President could vote for it or sign it respectively and tomorrow there would be no more Social Security. Look up Flemming v. Nestor (1960) and you can see the Supreme Court ruling that Social Security is not a contract and no one has any vested interest in future benefits.

[USS Alaska]

I strongly suggest that the Congressman is in error.

I strongly suggest that you know not what about which you suggest.

The government legally owes you {and me } nothing.

The congress can pass, and the President can sign a law that ends social security today.

We could sue and scream and revolt, but the feds would owe you nothing.

[rogue yam]

Since SS and Medicare have mandatory amounts deducted from wages, that obligates the Government agency to the provisions of the social security and medicare statutes.

The point is that the government can and does change the payout provisions in the statutes whenever it wants. You pay in according to what the statutes require at the time you are working and then you collect according to what the statutes say at the time you are eligible for benefits. However that changes over the course of your working life is up to Congress. You have no legal right to collect anything. If Congress simply eliminates the program and declares that henceforth no one collects anything then that will be what you get.