Republican Government Shutdown Would Stop Social Security Payments

This from the Stregnthen Social Security Campaign:

SSA has projected to the Committee staff that the House-passed budget would result in up to four weeks of furloughs out of the remaining seven months in the 2011 fiscal year. If Social Security shuts down for a month:

  • 400,000 people nationwide would not have their retirement, survivors, and Medicare applications processed this year, resulting in a large backlog of unprocessed retirement and survivor claims for the first time in SSA history; and
  • 290,000 people nationwide would not have their initial disability benefit applications processed, which means disabled workers, who already wait months for their applications to be processed, will wait an average of 30 days longer.

The SSA provided estimates to the Committee that the following could happen in Illinois as a result of the worker furloughs over the next seven months:

·         150,643 people would go to the Social Security office for help and find the lights off and the doors locked;

·         99,477 people would call the Social Security office and get no answer;

·         21,023 applications for Social Security benefits (retirement, disability, and survivor) could not be processed; and

·         157 jobs would be lost and the local economy would lose $5.2 million.

“Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus today. It has not contributed to the budget deficit, and it should not be cut to reduce the deficit,” Altman said. “Social Security belongs to the people who have contributed to the program, not to politicians in Washington who want to use it as a piggy bank.”

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  • Grow up you Republcation keep your hands off the Social Security!!!! I paid into it. how about the rich take out taxes on them not the people that are making a living. You don't care about the people just your pockets and how must you will get.

    Posted by Annette, 03/11/2015 1:48pm (9 years ago)

  • The story doesn't seem to reflect the headline. What would happen to issuance of monthly social security checks to retirees?

    Posted by jack black, 09/19/2013 11:38am (11 years ago)

  • I have paid taxes for years to insure I would be able to retire. Will checks still come. To the rich God Bless

    Posted by Lorraine Wise, 08/02/2011 11:16am (13 years ago)

  • Are ssdi ending? I hope not or I will be on the street. To all the rich God Bless

    Posted by Lorraine Wise, 08/02/2011 11:14am (13 years ago)

  • I have paid taxes for years to insure I would be able to retire. I became ill and now get SSDI I have no other means of survival. Are the SSDI & SS checks being cut. This will cause a major panic and I am sure more crime. I hope this is not the case. To put people who are sick on the streets. To all the rich God Bless

    Posted by Lorraine Wise, 08/02/2011 11:13am (13 years ago)

  • sounds like this is a left web site

    Posted by gerald ragsdill, 07/24/2011 9:23pm (13 years ago)

  • If the government shuts down in April will we still receive our Social Security Checks?

    Posted by Beverly Gold, 03/26/2011 10:29am (13 years ago)

  • i worked for years and paid into ssi. now that i am disabled i need that. i need to be assured that it will continue to come

    Posted by Michael Porter, 03/10/2011 10:22am (13 years ago)

  • I have worked since I was 15 and I get less than 700 amonth.By the time I pay bills and meds I have nothing left.I get around 20 dollars in food stampsI am very sick anwould ask that uleave our SS alone .We workfor it and trusted the gov to make sure we get it .I have to decide weather tobuy meds or food

    Posted by porsha evens, 03/09/2011 4:03pm (13 years ago)

  • Again,it is insanity to have those who are blameless for causing this great recession,yet suffer maybe irreversibly from it,to have added oppression to make the recession worse,adding insult to injury for future generations.
    Again to solve the big threat to Social Security,now and in the future we need the massive,invigorating,income generating power of jobs,jobs,jobs,replenishing Social Security contributions in particular,but massive taxation,social bond and stock investment in general,even in a irrational "universally selfish"capitalist economy.
    Heaven knows the heights of equality and abundance we would reach in a socialist planned economy with guaranteed material well being for the youth,genocidally oppressed minorities,women,elderly and unionized workers.
    We have an obligation to learn and do to experience these heights for posterity,and the start of this is preserving,protecting and improving our hard won needed social security,now.

    Posted by E.E.W.Clay, 03/01/2011 9:42am (13 years ago)

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