[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.

[KarlInOhio]

repealsed -> repealed

[TomGuy]

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.

That would abrogate the 'full faith and credit' of the US Government.

It won't happen. Not now, not ever. Congress will -- eventually -- get around to fixing the most current problem(s) with SS/Medicare, even if just short term.

SS/Medicare makes a good scare-tactic weapon that has been used in elections for the last 4 decades.

[slowhandluke]

You are correct as the laws are written now.

The previous poster was only correct on the second assumption, you will get SS payments according to the current regulations. And you are right, Congress can change the payment schedules anytime they want, including setting them to zero.

The first statement, that what you paid in created an obligation on the part of the government to pay you back, is false. It's also the assumption that the hardest for folks to give up.