The AARP is celebrating 90 years of Social Safety.
AARP New York is celebrating the ninetieth anniversary of Social Safety’s creation this yr, launching a marketing campaign to advocate for advantages, educate People concerning the federal program, and recruit extra volunteers for the group.
The marketing campaign is a part of a nationwide anniversary initiative that features tons of of occasions throughout the 50 states, Washington, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Joe Stelling, the affiliate state director of Advocacy at AARP New York, mentioned Social Safety advantages are notably important in New York state, the place 3.7 million residents — one in 5 New Yorkers — obtain advantages.
“Ninety years ago, our country made a promise to provide hardworking Americans with a foundation for financial security in retirement,” Stelling mentioned. “Social Security is one of the most successful and popular initiatives in history. It’s helped generations of Americans stay out of poverty and live with dignity after a lifetime of hard work.”
AARP New York and AARP chapters throughout the nation kicked off their marketing campaign on Might 14, celebrating 90 years of Social Safety over 90 days.
The AARP has been working with members of Congress on either side of the political aisle to save lots of Social Safety funds, that are in peril of operating out if Congress doesn’t act to save lots of funding. Although President Donald Trump has mentioned a number of instances that he has no plans to chop Medicare or Social Safety, Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity has focused the Social Safety Administration, the central company managing Social Safety packages, in its employees cuts throughout the federal authorities.
In Might, 14 Home Republicans wrote to Trump’s newly-appointed Social Safety Chief Frank Bisignano urging him to forestall additional cuts to employees and assets that would “further deteriorate customer service that has been subpar in recent years.”
Stelling mentioned that the AARP’s efforts to guard Social Safety have at all times been, and stay, bipartisan.
“It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re on,” Stelling mentioned. “This is a bedrock program for constituents across the state and I think our members understand that, I think our leaders understand that.”
In New York state, the most important group of Social Safety beneficiaries are the state’s 2.7 million retired staff, who account for 74% of all beneficiaries within the state. Social Safety offers revenue to 434,000 people on incapacity advantages, and 323,190 spouses, former spouses, widows, widowers, and oldsters of deceased beneficiaries account for 8.7% of New York State’s Social Safety beneficiaries. Over 200,000 youngsters within the state obtain Social Safety advantages.
Social Safety has lengthy confronted complaints over customer support, with people reporting lengthy wait instances or unresponsiveness when calling the company to inquire about their advantages. Stelling mentioned that the AARP is advocating not only for the viability of Social Safety and the persistence of funds but in addition for Social Safety’s functioning as an efficient communicator of its service.
“One huge issue for us, a challenge that we hear about a lot from our members is around basic customer service and making sure that the program is there for them, not only continues to pay out benefits on time, as it always has, but also, somebody can get somebody to answer the phone when they call and get that basic customer service,” Stelling mentioned.
One of many AARP’s main factors of advocacy in the intervening time is the Bonus Tax Aid for America’s Seniors Act, a invoice in Congress sponsored by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn). As prices rise throughout the nation, the laws seeks to place a reimbursement within the pockets of older People by means of tax reduction. The AARP is urging Congress to incorporate the invoice within the reconciliation bundle as a part of Trump’s effort to scale back the federal Social Safety tax, Stelling mentioned.
Stelling mentioned that because the nation appears again on 90 years of Social Safety, the important thing to defending this system going ahead is thru bipartisan efforts. He famous the final main reform to Social Safety, which occurred within the Nineteen Eighties and was the product of bipartisan negotiations.
“This 90th anniversary isn’t just a celebration. It’s a time for reflection and to look toward the future,” Stelling mentioned. “Social Security is still doing what it was built to do, but it’s up to us to make sure it’s there for the next 90 years.”
