The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Americans who receive Social Security benefits have been a frequent topic in the 2012 presidential election. Social Security affects most people in this country, whether they are paying taxes or collecting benefits. Some people take offense, however, to the generalizations that politicians are making about people who receive Social Security benefits.
A journalist from the Huffington Post talked to one woman who “bristled” at Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s categorization of people like her as “entitlement-addicted” non-contributors. Sandra Johnson, who is 62 and collects disability benefits, worked for decades before crippling arthritis and two bouts of breast cancer forced her out of the workplace. Johnson still works part time at a local nonprofit, but her disability benefits help her survive each month. Even with financial assistance, she does not earn enough income each year to pay income taxes at the federal level.
Social Security benefits are incredibly important to many people who have worked for most of their lives or were permanently injured. These people have paid their taxes honestly and are benefiting from the program they spent years contributing to. Lumping all these people together is narrow-minded and dangerous; it could ultimately put an incredibly valuable program in jeopardy.
If you have questions about qualifying or applying for Social Security benefits, contact a Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyer today to learn more about your rights and option. We can also be reached by phone at (918) 265-1404, and we offer free evaluations of your case.