Reagan, Pickle and Pepper: The Benefit Reduction Versus Voluntary Approach to Encouraging Later Retirement

The degree to which benefit reduction and voluntary approaches to encouraging later retirement maximize four different and often conflicting policy objectives is assessed as are costs and benefits of these approaches to healthy and unhealthy older workers, minorities and women. While both approaches encourage later retirement, there are clear differences in the approaches in terms of meeting the goal of financing Social Security versus adequacy and social equit

The Effect of Changes in the Federal Disability Programs on State and Local General Assistance Programs

Since early 1981, there has been a large-scale removal of persons from the SSI and Social Security disability programs as a result of the Social Security Disability Amendments of 1980. This article reports on the findings of a national survey designed to determine whether the removal of persons from the federal disability programs had an impact on state and local General Assistance programs and the extent to which older recipients of General Assistance are in need of long-term income assistance for health and other reasons. Some states and jurisdictions have noticed an increase in applications as a result of federal cutoffs and tightened administrative policies which is an indicator that state and local programs are sensitive to changes in federal policies. Since General Assistance programs are serving persons terminated from federal disability programs and a significant number of older clients who are in need of long-term income assistance, this article suggests that consideration should be given to modifying the disability criteria for the SSI program, at least for older persons

Understanding the Debate Over the Privatization of Social Security

Serious consideration is being given to the merits of privatizing Social Security. Debate over privatization and the future of Social Security gives expression to two differing value systems: the community-enhancing values of the program\u27s defenders versus libertarian values of its critics. This article examines the implications of the debate. Areas of agreement among advocates and opponents of privatization are discussed. Special attention is paid to conflicting views about privatization and to the distributive implications of proposals to address the program\u27s projected financing problem. In shifting much risk from government onto individuals, privatization would undermine basic Social Security protections. And it would complicate the program\u27s financing problems and in the long run weaken political support. Moreover, many alternative benefit or tax changes can address the shortfall without weakening the moral basis of Social Security

The Effect of Changes in the Federal Disability Programs on State and Local General Assistance Programs

Since early 1981, there has been a large-scale removal of persons from the SSI and Social Security disability programs as a result of the Social Security Disability Amendments of 1980. This article reports on the findings of a national survey designed to determine whether the removal of persons from the federal disability programs had an impact on state and local General Assistance programs and the extent to which older recipients of General Assistance are in need of long-term income assistance for health and other reasons. Some states and jurisdictions have noticed an increase in applications as a result of federal cutoffs and tightened administrative policies which is an indicator that state and local programs are sensitive to changes in federal policies. Since General Assistance programs are serving persons terminated from federal disability programs and a significant number of older clients who are in need of long-term income assistance, this article suggests that consideration should be given to modifying the disability criteria for the SSI program, at least for older persons

A Tale of Three Commissions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Eric Kingson was an advisor to the 1982 National Commission on Social Security Reform and to the 1994 Bipartisan Commission on Entitlements and Tax Reform. Drawing on the experience of 1982 (the “Goodâ€) and 1994 (the “Badâ€) commissions, he concludes that the fast-track debt commission as proposed by Senators Kent Conrad and Judd Gregg would result in an unprecedented and deleterious approach to Social Security policy-making. The structure and functioning of the 1994 commission provides insight into likely goals and functioning of the Conrad-Gregg Commission, a commission Kingson suggests would be akin to the 1994 entitlement commission “on steroids.†Noting the disregard for traditional congressional processes and the mischaracterization of Social Security as part of a unified “entitlements†problem, Kingson concludes that Senator Max Baucus is not exaggerating when he warned on the Senate floor that “Senators Conrad and Gregg have painted a big red target on Social Security and Medicare. That’s what this commission is all about.â€

Social Security and Medicare : A Policy Primer

x.213 hal.;22 c

Are Age-62/63 Retired Worker Beneficiaries At Risk?

This paper provides a longitudinal view, spanning 10 to 12 years, of persons first accepting retired worker benefits at ages 62 or 63 in 1994 or 1996. Using HRS data, matched to Social Security administrative files, we present: 1) findings of variation in income, wealth, health insurance coverage and employability, along such dimensions as race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, reported health status and functional ability; 2) findings of economic, health and survival outcomes in 2006 for the 1994/1996 pooled sample, paying special attention to variations within the sub-sample of persons who accepted Social Security early retirement benefits by 1996; and 3) estimates of the proportion of persons accepting such benefits who are at risk. The findings indicate that persons first accepting Social Security retired worker benefits at ages 62 and 63 experience varying degrees of risk to their well being at these ages, and that these risks condition their well-being in retirement and survival probabilities. The major policy implication is that consideration should be given to providing a health insurance option for persons first accepting retired worker benefits prior to age 65. The major research implication is that retirement researchers should consider utilizing a range of measures ñ as opposed to a singular and potentially narrow measure -- of risk when assessing the magnitude of risks existing for those accepting retired worker benefits at early ages.