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Did you hear … that some members of Congress plan to cut Social Security?


National Women's Law Center
Have you heard about the plan to cut Social Security? If you haven’t, here’s what it looks like:
Step 1: Talk about the plan behind closed doors
Step 2: Claim to not be cutting Social Security benefits, just adjusting the Consumer Price Index
Step 3: Keep the public in the dark with technical language such as “chained CPI”
Right now this is EXACTLY what some members of Congress are doing. They’re looking for additional programs they can cut to reduce the deficit, and Social Security is on the table. They’re looking at a stealth way to cut Social Security benefits: by switching the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment to a new measure of inflation, the chained CPI.
The chained CPI would cut Social Security benefits by reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustment — and the value of benefits — every year. These cuts start small, but get deeper every year. The older you get, the deeper the cut from the chained CPI.
That’s why we need your help to educate the public. Will you help share this important message? The image below explains what these cuts would really mean.
Infographic - Stealth cuts to Social SecurityPlease spread the word!

Why are we so worried? This stealth plan to cut Social Security would be a triple whammy to women:

  1. Since women live longer than men on average, they would face deeper cuts in their Social Security benefits.
  2. Elderly women rely more on income from Social Security, so these cuts would represent a larger share of their total income in retirement.
  3. Since older women are already more economically vulnerable, these cuts would leave many of them unable to meet basic needs.

We are worried about women like Jeannette, from Medford, Oregon. She worked her whole life, up until she was 73, but has no pension. Her only income, apart from a little help from her adult children, is her Social Security check. She described to us how she manages.
“I’m a very frugal person. Always have been. I don’t have cable…that’s a luxury. I shop for food very carefully, too. I can’t afford meat anymore, but every once in a while if I see a great bargain, I’ll splurge on a small piece of meat. There’s a special discount cheese that I like. I make very thin slices…. I’m careful about keeping my clothes in good condition. I know that I don’t have the option to buy new ones.”
Jeannette’s story is not unique. She is one of millions of women who rely on Social Security to survive. And she can’t afford ANY cuts to her Social Security. And this is exactly why we need your help.
Please help spread the word by sharing our new graphic today.
Sincerely,
Joan Entmacher Joan Entmacher Vice President, Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center   

P.S. Do you or a loved one have a Social Security experience that you can share? Add your story to our storybank! Stories help our advocacy efforts by putting a face on programs that make a difference in women’s lives.
P.P.S. Please help us continue to advocate for policies that protect and improve economic security for women and their families by making a generous donation today.