Is social security really at risk of going away ?

[Anonymous]

Yes I’m following this closely and I’ve seen all the horrifying reports of cutting offices, making seniors show up in person for their benefits, etc. I guess what I’m wondering, will this really happen… can it really happen??

And please spare me the obvious answers of of course it can. I understand what we’re dealing with, I guess I’m just looking for an honest reckoning of how this will go down and what can stop it.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Republicans and the Heritage Foundation have waited to kill social security and Medicare since it was instituted in the 30s.

[Anonymous]

I understand the desire to eliminate. Just asking if people really believe this will happen, how and when.

[Anonymous]

Did you see this?


https://www.instagram.com/realdlhughley/reel/DHee1q3y8ZW/


"I describe it to people this way: Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who is 94, she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got messed up, and she'll get it next month," said Lutnick, who paid for his 16,250 square-foot mansion with $25 million in cash. "A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining."


"Elon [Musk] knows this by heart," he continued. "Anyone who's been in the payment system and the process system knows the easiest way to find a fraudster is to stop payments and listen. Because whoever screams is the one stealing!""

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the desire to eliminate. Just asking if people really believe this will happen, how and when.

I think Trump's method has been exactly as described above -- just stop everything (yes, illegally). Wait to hear who complains, and if they have the strength to do enough to make his life hard. Then just fix the complaints.

Meanwhile ... if you fire or RIF or layoff half the customer service people and shut down many offices and require lots of elderly people to come in person to figure out their problems, and have very long wait times...

After you stop all payments (just once) and mess things up enough, you could make it very difficult for people to get payments established. Basically just make everything even worse than ever before, and maybe a bunch of elderly people will just die off before you have to pay anything out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you see this?


https://www.instagram.com/realdlhughley/reel/DHee1q3y8ZW/


"I describe it to people this way: Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who is 94, she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got messed up, and she'll get it next month," said Lutnick, who paid for his 16,250 square-foot mansion with $25 million in cash. "A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining."


"Elon [Musk] knows this by heart," he continued. "Anyone who's been in the payment system and the process system knows the easiest way to find a fraudster is to stop payments and listen. Because whoever screams is the one stealing!""

Yes i saw that but I was asking a different question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you see this?


https://www.instagram.com/realdlhughley/reel/DHee1q3y8ZW/


"I describe it to people this way: Let's say Social Security didn't send out their checks this month. My mother-in-law, who is 94, she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got messed up, and she'll get it next month," said Lutnick, who paid for his 16,250 square-foot mansion with $25 million in cash. "A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining."


"Elon [Musk] knows this by heart," he continued. "Anyone who's been in the payment system and the process system knows the easiest way to find a fraudster is to stop payments and listen. Because whoever screams is the one stealing!""

Actually, since most elderly depend on SS for basic expenses, they probably won't be able to eat one month after funds are cut off.

Nursing homes also won't be able to function if families can't pay them.

And most elderly people won't be in any shape to protest, but their children will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand the desire to eliminate. Just asking if people really believe this will happen, how and when.

I think Trump's method has been exactly as described above -- just stop everything (yes, illegally). Wait to hear who complains, and if they have the strength to do enough to make his life hard. Then just fix the complaints.

Meanwhile ... if you fire or RIF or layoff half the customer service people and shut down many offices and require lots of elderly people to come in person to figure out their problems, and have very long wait times...

After you stop all payments (just once) and mess things up enough, you could make it very difficult for people to get payments established. Basically just make everything even worse than ever before, and maybe a bunch of elderly people will just die off before you have to pay anything out.

This seems to be the plan.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think we know exactly. DOGE has all access to all the PII and broken many privacy laws etc in gaining this info. It’s unprecedented. We know they took it via laptop to OPM and the DOGE guys have been running all the data through AI. A MD judge recently told them to stop and the acting COSS who has no clue what he is doing and is not bright said maybe he needed to shutdown the agency per the court order. The court replied and was like ummm you are dumb and reiterated the order. Apparently even the White House told Dudek he was out of line.

What are they doing with this data? We have no idea. Will they comply with the court order? we have no idea. Is it too late bec everyone in that OPM building and whoever they could have shared the data with already has it? No one knows because no administration has ever violated public trust like this and broken so many laws and safeguards.

What’s next? We know the goal is to privatize. They fired probationary employees, are closing field offices and requiring the sick and elderly and disabled and comatose to come to the few remaining field offices to check identification if they ask. It’s very very bad. Clearly they are not trying to fix the program or improve by taking these actions. When and how they dismantle who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think we know exactly. DOGE has all access to all the PII and broken many privacy laws etc in gaining this info. It’s unprecedented. We know they took it via laptop to OPM and the DOGE guys have been running all the data through AI. A MD judge recently told them to stop and the acting COSS who has no clue what he is doing and is not bright said maybe he needed to shutdown the agency per the court order. The court replied and was like ummm you are dumb and reiterated the order. Apparently even the White House told Dudek he was out of line.

What are they doing with this data? We have no idea. Will they comply with the court order? we have no idea. Is it too late bec everyone in that OPM building and whoever they could have shared the data with already has it? No one knows because no administration has ever violated public trust like this and broken so many laws and safeguards.

What’s next? We know the goal is to privatize. They fired probationary employees, are closing field offices and requiring the sick and elderly and disabled and comatose to come to the few remaining field offices to check identification if they ask. It’s very very bad. Clearly they are not trying to fix the program or improve by taking these actions. When and how they dismantle who knows.

This is not the goal. The goal is to eliminate the government.

[Anonymous]

Are you following this other thread OP?

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1258089.page

I can’t tell if you’re hoping for reassurance, updated information, or something else.

Right now, decisions are being made by people who have never ever had to worry about money. That’s not a good thing.
On the other hand, with Social Security, we’re talking about a program that many of us have been paying into since we were 14. This is also happening at tax season, when most of us are thinking about what we pay to get government services. I say all of this because Republicans and Democrats who are not billionaires value these programs. If SS is scrapped, thousands of people will be evicted from nursing homes, and probably millions of people will end up destitute and possibly homeless— because the federal government failed to live up to their agreements. At that point, we will have a lot of Luigis with nothing to lose. I don’t think it will get to that point. While Musk, Trump, and even Vance might not care, every other politician will.
State level politicians will be well aware of all that will quickly be destroyed if a huge demographic group is suddenly no longer able to support themselves or spend money to help maintain the economy. While Musk might just pick another country to ravage, even Trump, holed up in his mansion in Florida would not be able to avoid the fallout.

What I do think might happen though is that after raising this general threat, workers below a certain age — say 45, may be forced into some privatized system. And COLAs for older people might be less than adequate.
This is just my very biased unsupported by actual data opinion.

[Anonymous]

It will be honored for people age 50+ in full. It'll be partially phased out for the under 50 crowd. They will push back the age for FRA.

I am in my 40s. I fully expect I will only get 50% or so of what was promised, probably because I won't be able to claim until age 70

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It will be honored for people age 50+ in full. It'll be partially phased out for the under 50 crowd. They will push back the age for FRA.

I am in my 40s. I fully expect I will only get 50% or so of what was promised, probably because I won't be able to claim until age 70

No there will be nothing.

Musk and Trump will not pay one dime of SS after this coming April if not sooner.

[Anonymous]

DOGE is ages 19-what 30? The other recent MAGA employee lawyer? Quote was “he could fire all women and 40+ if he wanted (Trump)”
Do the Math. Under40 coming in to work for the Administration will care not a whit for 40+ losing Social Security

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It will be honored for people age 50+ in full. It'll be partially phased out for the under 50 crowd. They will push back the age for FRA.

I am in my 40s. I fully expect I will only get 50% or so of what was promised, probably because I won't be able to claim until age 70

LOL, no, once it is gone, it is gone. Honoring it for people over 50? Really?