Social Security update: Direct payment worth up to $4,555 goes out to millions in 17 days

Washington Examiner ^ | March 26, 2023 | Asher Notheis

[Kathy in OC]

I have never used police, fire or public schools, and would argue that society as a whole benefits from social security by not having homeless and destitute elderly people, just as society benefits from police, fire, public schools and NASA, even if they don’t use them personally.

[madison10]

We aren’t. We do not get near that, but my husband had to take SS at early.

[adorno]

I have never used police, fire or public schools

That's not how those services work. You don't use them. They're there, and if you don't notice them or need them, then, they're doing a good job.

Social security as a program, is very debatable. It's there if you need it at some point in your older years, but, what I said still applies, where many people pay into the system and never benefit from it, and the only way the system works, is by enough people dying early so that those that get to use it, don't have to worry too much about living in the streets. But then, SS doesn't provide for everything that people need when they can no longer work. SS can be improved if it were not force on people by government, but then, it would have to be a 'mandatory contribution system', that you can use only at retirement age.

[stylin19a]

I was wondering the point of this also...
read it a couple of times and I’m guessing the point is in the last paragraph.
They probably would have gotten a bigger wow if they said how much total went out for the month. Or for each payment cycle in the month.

[stylin19a]

that 85% is an “up to” dollar amount based on earings

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/taxes.html

Pres. OBama and Congress closed a Bill Clinton signed SS filing scheme.

It still exists for peole born prior to 01/02/1954.
It works best if both spouse are near FRA(full retirement age)

One spouse files for full benefits, the other spouse files a restricted claim.
The restricted claim spouse gets to put their own SS on hold. ( It incurs an additional 8 % a year increase for every year it’s on hold to age 70 - there is no further increase at 70 and later).
Once the restricted spouse turns 70, they can file for benefits under their own SSN.

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/social-security-rules-for-restricted-applications-2388915