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Social Security Administration: Where Our Retiree's Monies Really Went

Why is it that so many of our citizens don't know? They are not stupid, but are uneducated. Our schools should start teaching us the financial facts of live as early as the 8th grade, so we can catch those who won't finish school. My wife teaches 8th graders, and those kids might decide to have more interest in their education if given a massive dose of reality.

That is one of the best suggestions I have heard in a long time in reguards to the public education system. I can not agree with you more.

I as the mother of a 16 year old Autistic son am lucky enough to work from my home and am able to set aside a bit each month for myself and I am praying for my son as well. Planning one pension is difficult, I have two. Owning our own home helps us out as well, yet finances around this Nation are paycheck to paycheck for over half of America.

Creating a fund now for these children and disabled adults can be estimated by the amount of cuts in the legislation before Congress now. This legislation is based on the Medical and Food Stamp act alone, that amount of savings to the SSA is passed onto the state programs to pay. It is a small compromise to the end goal restructuring Social Security to be a retiree and survivor benifit program only. I only wish that Government would tell America why it is in this crisis today.

Advocating for my child would be so much easier, getting him the education necessary to help him NOT be a drain on society should be the ultimate goal. Yet until there is a realization that this is a legitimate problem in America I am unable to help him. Everyone is unable to help this situation until it is labeled one by the powers that be.

KMS
 
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CaliNORML said:
I as the mother of a 16 year old Autistic son am lucky enough to work from my home and am able to set aside a bit each month for myself and I am praying for my son as well. Planning one pension is difficult, I have two. Owning our own home helps us out as well, yet finances around this Nation are paycheck to paycheck for over half of America.


Advocating for my child would be so much easier, getting him the education necessary to help him NOT be a drain on society should be the ultimate goal. Yet until there is a realization that this is a legitimate problem in America I am unable to help him. Everyone is unable to help this situation until it is labeled one by the powers that be.

KMS
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I have 2 friends in that situation. One is an older Downs syndrome person who is now able to live in a group home but still watched over by family.
The other is severely mentally retarded and unable to function in society without constant supervision so he will likely become institutionalized eventually. His parents found it was financially to their advantage to divorce. It was the only way to get assistance from the state.
The government should step in and assist those who are obviously unable to carry the whole financial burden in caring for those who cannot learn to be self sufficient. That is both liberal thinking and Christian thinking, which should cover both ends of political thought in this country.
 
UtahBill said:
I have 2 friends in that situation. One is an older Downs syndrome person who is now able to live in a group home but still watched over by family.
The other is severely mentally retarded and unable to function in society without constant supervision so he will likely become institutionalized eventually. His parents found it was financially to their advantage to divorce. It was the only way to get assistance from the state.
The government should step in and assist those who are obviously unable to carry the whole financial burden in caring for those who cannot learn to be self sufficient. That is both liberal thinking and Christian thinking, which should cover both ends of political thought in this country.
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How do you think the government should assist such people, do you mean by putting them into some sort of an institution? You aren't referring to social security here, are you? Just wondering.
 
Social security mainly refers to a field of social welfare concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized needs, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment, families with children and others.

Retiree and DISABILITY benifits are under this same fund. Children recieve funds from a joint account retiree benifits as well as medical.

So SOcial Security also pays children with life long diasabilities.

Where willl the money come from. I do not know.

KMS
 
Hornburger said:
How do you think the government should assist such people, do you mean by putting them into some sort of an institution? You aren't referring to social security here, are you? Just wondering.
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It should be administered under SS, since that infrastructure is already in place. But institutionalizing should be for only those for whom there is no other choice. Some can live on their own, some in semi-supervised group homes, and some need constant supervision, care, protection, etc.
 
But wouldn't such people squander the money that they are given? If they need such constant supervision, then I would think that they would have to resort to such a group home, like a nursing home or some other sort of institution.
 
Hornburger said:
But wouldn't such people squander the money that they are given? If they need such constant supervision, then I would think that they would have to resort to such a group home, like a nursing home or some other sort of institution.
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No more than anyone else might. Like I said, some are not that much in need of supervision, some will need a group home, etc. Only those who can handle their own finances would be given money, and actually I know of another who fits that category. Likewise the Downs syndrome person, she has a job, and her fellow employees help watch out for her as well as her family. Whatever support is needed, should be provided, but let those that can live alone, or in a group home, have that right if they choose to do so.
 
Yes, nobody should be "forced" to join such a group home.

I think that, as someone else pointed out, that schools should educate students on how to invest their money. However, I know in my high school this is a required course. If this is not the case in all schools, then sure, they should make it a required course.

And if students learned how to invest their money because of such a course, then they would know how important it is to invest their money, and they would know how to do it. Then we wouldn't need the government to handle our money for us, and in addition put more burdens on taxpayers.

If people need support, they can always find through various programs, organizations, and counselors. If they need additional help and supervision, then they should feel free to be institutionalized.
 
Allot of families like mine choose not to put their children in homes, there is nothing wrong physicallly with my child that can be seen. He is healthy as a horse and will be so for many years, yet he will not communicate, dress, feed, or care for himself. He has no realization of danger. We choose to keep him with the family, Autism is a bonding disorder, and he should have the opportunity to be able to have as much as he can of that in his life. While not physical care exactly, constant care is needed. In real life money is abstract to these children as well as socially inept and uncommunicative they do need life long help with simple issues. I would not be able to have my son tell me if he is being mistreated in a home, until that communication happens, he is staying right here where he is safe. That's my job as his mom.
Social Security Disability pays a portion of the Institutional costs the rest is up to the families with the basis of care in America based on what you can afford. My parental instincts will not allow me to send him away yet, and my finances can not afford anywhere as decent as his own home. If all parents put their children in state facilities the cost would be greater than letting them be home safe and protected by loved ones. Financially if I did pay for him to live out of our home, that would take up the monies I set aside for his use after I am gone. I would be spending his future now, and possibly some of my own retirement as well. When I ceased to be as productive as I am now then what? Once again we are a drain. More feasable is to save for him now, instead of spending it on a group home until he is ready or indeed forced to be a resident of one.
With the massive increase in this population of Americans as well the amount of homes are limited. In California there is a 3 year wait to even get on the short list to live a reputable home for such disabilities. Some are over 5 years long. If there is no education of all America on this issue who will care enough to set up more of these type of "institutions" where these individuals can have a decent life? Even if a flood of chidren were to be "kenneled" there is not enough educated staff or facilities to handle 22,000 California children in this state.
What I see is my daughter at age 13, she has not only my life to see out, her own families and her brother as well. The Oreo generation now has a sibling added to future caregiving for millions of young Americans.

KMS
 
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Okay, but isn't there a disability fund for such people? I thought that social security was for all individual citizens, not just ones with disorders and disabilities.

I would think that if we want to provide for such children, then do so with a seperate fund through the use of taxes...but only give financial support to people with such disabilites as you were talking about.
 
Socal Security Administration was set up in the 1940's as all of these three: Retirement, disability and survivor benifits.

This is the umbrella coving disabled with your tax monies already. That is the fund for these children at present. "Privatizing" Social Security means disengaging disability from retirement and survivor benifits.

The underlying effect of the new legislation before Congress now will take away Medicare insurance and the Food Stamp Aid included to these families from the Social Security Administration, leaving the states responsible for the costs for these children medical and benifits they were all ready qualified for and receiving through goverment sources.

As a parent I see the provided level of medical acess through my state. I have received 3 denials from the local State Mental Health Agency stating that they can not treat my son. California does not have a code number to treat Autism. Autism medications can not perscribe be a General Practioner as they are anti-pyschotic and must be monitored by a mental health professional.

States will soon be forced to add Medical Insurance and provide the medical attention these children need to their budgets, plus the extra cost of the Food Stamps now paid to these families.

This matter of the extra cost to the states and how we are going to care for the special needs of these children to be acknowledged and discussed soon, preferably BEFORE Congress cuts them loose adding these costs to individual states budgets. This is crutial not only for children like mine who will be caught in the middle left to suffer with no insurance or perscription medication available, but for the tax payers of the states to prepare for this finacial blow.

KMS
 
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Alright, I would agree with you on that then, I see your point. However, I think we should remove the "retirement" part from the social security equation.
 
Thank you, so nice to hear that someone else may see this need in our nation. Congress will still try to cut the medical and food stamps making each state responsible for it's own disability programs for these individuals. I urge the state to consider taking the steps to help provide the funds and programs that will be needed in the near future for medical treatment and family support aid needed as well as community programs and educational needs.
Personally I am afraid of the upheaval no insurance will cause in these peoples lives.

KMS
 
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