Social Security marked its 77th anniversary on Aug. 14.
When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, almost half of all older Americans lived in poverty.
Originally, Social Security was just a retirement program; today, it offers survivors’ benefits, benefits to a retiree’s spouse and children, and disability benefits.
Social Security is a foundation of economic security for millions of Americans and their families. More than one-third of Mainers who are on Social Security rely upon their benefit for 100 percent of their income. Without Social Security, more than 80,000 older Mainers would fall into poverty.
Because Social Security is so vital to Mainers, our elected leaders owe us a full and open discussion about how they would keep it strong. That’s why AARP has launched “You’ve Earned a Say” (earnedasay.org), a national conversation focused on strengthening health and retirement security for all Americans. This is an opportunity for every Mainer to make their voice heard about the future of Social Security.
Especially considering the challenging economic climate of the last few years, strengthening Social Security now and for the future has never been more important. It is essential that Congress work together to find solutions that will keep Social Security strong.
Carol Kontos, president
AARP Maine
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.