National Coalition Urges Congress to Consider 
Sweeping Social Security Proposals for Women, 
Caregivers and Same-Sex Couples
THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL 
SECURITY & MEDICARE
May 11, 2012
http://www.ncpssm.org/news/archive/ss_proposals_wrapup_release/

	"The truth is -- as our nation ages and
	retirement income continues to decline for
	millions of Americans - Congress should be
	talking about the adequacy of Social
	Security's benefits not cutting them.
	Congress should examine the inequities
	that have created a poverty rate for
	senior women and widows that is 50% higher
	than other retirees 65 and older.  We can
	break this Social Security glass
	ceiling...in fact, we must do so to
	preserve the economic security of
	generations of American women and their
	families."

Max Richtman, NCPSSM President/CEO

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security
and Medicare Foundation , the National
Organization for Women Foundation and the
Institute for Women's Policy Research briefed
Congressional staff today on their research
examining the challenges facing America 's elderly
women and their families. Their report, Breaking
the Social Security Glass Ceiling also proposes
initiatives to ensure Social Security benefits are
adequate for all Americans, particularly for women
and women of color.

	"Our proposals are designed to modernize
	the Social Security system and recognize
	particularly the changes that have
	occurred in women's lives and in family
	life, so that women will be rewarded more
	fairly for the full value of the  work
	they do, both in the labor market and in
	raising the next generation.  We can
	strengthen the Social Security system to
	address the gender gap in retirement that
	reveals many more older women in poverty
	than older men, while still addressing the
	financial needs of the program."

Dr. Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy
Research President

	"If implemented, the recommendations we
	make in 'Breaking the Social Security
	Glass Ceiling' will go a long way toward
	creating a retirement and disability
	insurance program that recognizes the new
	reality of working women and men and
	values women's role in society as both
	breadwinners and primary caregivers.
	Crediting women's years out of the paid
	labor force is a long overdue feature that
	NOW strongly supports and urges lawmakers
	to support as well."

Terry O'Neill, NOW Foundation President

Here are just some of the recommendations in this
groundbreaking report:

· Improving Survivor Benefits. Women living alone
often are forced into poverty because of benefit
reductions stemming from the death of a spouse.
Providing a widow or widower with 75 percent of
the couple's combined benefit treats one-earner
and two-earner couples more fairly and reduces the
likelihood of leaving the survivor in poverty.

· Providing Social Security Credits for
Caregivers. We recommend imputed earnings for up
to five family service years be granted to a
worker who leaves or reduces his/her participation
in the work force to provide care to children
under the age of six or to elderly family members.

· Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Married Couples and
Partners. Gay and lesbian same-sex couples,
whether married or not, are denied a host of
benefits under state and federal law that are
routinely provided to heterosexual married
couples. Social Security benefits should not be
denied to qualified retirees because of their
sexual orientation.

· Restoring Student Benefits. Social Security pays
benefits to children until age 18, or 19 if they
are still attending high school, if a working
parent has died, become disabled or retired.  In
the past, those benefits continued until age 22 if
the child was a full-time student in college or a
vocational school.  Congress ended post-secondary
students' benefits in 1981 which has
disproportionately hurt children of parents in
blue-collar jobs, African Americans, and lower
income students.

	"Social Security is a vital lifeline for
	all Americans, especially women and people
	of color. When you consider that Social
	Security provides 90% of seniors' income
	for 58% of unmarried women of color, 53%
	of Hispanics and 47% of African Americans
	it's hard to understand why benefit cuts
	are always the first answer for fiscal
	hawks hoping to use Social Security for
	deficit reduction.  Building on what
	works, 'Breaking the Social Security Glass
	Ceiling' offers a modernization plan for
	Social Security that would strengthen
	benefits for women and their families
	while improving the equity and adequacy
	for generations of Americans."

Dr. Carroll Estes, NPCSSM Foundation Board Chair

While some suggest we can't afford to provide even
current level benefits to America's retirees,
disabled and their families, we disagree.  In
fact, we believe our nation can't afford not to
provide fair and adequate benefits for future
generations of working Americans.  A number of
funding options are included in this research,
including:

· Eliminate the Cap on Social Security Payroll
Contributions.

· Slowly Increase the Contribution Rate by 1/40 th
of One Percent over 20 years.

· Treat all Salary Reduction Plans like 401K's.

Together, these proposals provide revenue
increases equal to 3.99% of taxable payroll.  They
would close the actuarial deficit (2.67% of
payroll) while also funding the modest program
improvements recommended.

The full report, "Breaking the Social Security
Glass Ceiling", is available online at:
http://www.ncpssmfoundation.org/breaking_ss_glass_ceiling.pdf .

You can watch the entire briefing on CSpan at:
http://www.c-span.org/Events/NCPSSM-Releases-Report-on-Women-and-Social-Security/10737430628-1/

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