Official Says Bush's Social Security Plan Would Cut Some Survivor Benefits

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBISXF6M8E.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's preferred approach for Social Security would mean smaller survivor benefits for middle and upper-income children and widows than they are now promised, a top administration official said Wednesday.

At the same time, Bush envisions no changes in the benefit system for the disabled, said Allan Hubbard, chairman of the National Economic Council and the administration's point man on Social Security.

In addition to retirees, Social Security provides benefits to the disabled as well as to children under 18 who have lost a working parent. Surviving spouses can also qualify for a benefit until the child turns 16.

"The president is committed to making sure the disabled are taken care of just as they've been promised they'd be taken care of," Hubbard said in an interview with The Associated Press in his White House office. Bush also believes the approach he's talked about "will provide adequate and reasonable benefits for beneficiaries, which includes survivors, widows and the retirees," he said.

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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Today, Missouri's Gov. said

he wanted to abolish Medicaid entirely in his state. The deep cuts already made mean that most home health workers will be laid off, and people with chronic diseases, like MS, will be left with no health care. To quote one lady with this disease, "They just want us to die."

[indepat]

2. Left to die like many thousand uninsured are left to die yearly is Repuke

way of ridding the nation of cobblers.

[Spinzonner]

3. And please be quick about it so we don't have to listen to the whining

:sarcasm:

[central scrutinizer]

4. we need tort reform first

to make sure none of these uninsured losers can sue anybody about anything. We can ignore the whining as they die, just make sure their survivors have no legal recourse.

[Zenlitened]

5. Lovely. How very nice. When my father died...

... my brother, sister and I were just kids. My mom had never been to college, and scrambled to find secretarial work. Without survivor benefits, we would have been OUT ON THE STREET. No doubt about it.

I wonder exactly how they'll define "middle and upper-income children and widows." (As if children have any income to begin with!) If a wage-earner croaks, it seems to me the HOUSEHOLD income is going to take a bit of a hit, no?

And the whole concept of survivor benefits is based on the fact that the wage-earner paid into Social Security, and his/her estate is entitled to some of the payout. Not to mention that, in most cases, that money is desperately needed if the survivors are to continue... um, surviving.

This is a basic Safety Net issue, plain and simple. And once again, the administration of jesus-freaks and bible-thumpers is taking a shot at the most vulnerable, at those most in need. Typical.

[wabeewoman]

6. It's exactly what happened before social security

There aren't many left to tell the stories but my great grandmother adopted out my grandfather and all his siblings except his sister after her husband died. She couldn't support them and there was no social security or survivor's benefits.

[CountAllVotes]

8. same here :(

Mother was adopted c. 1915. Never did know who she was. Died not knowing who she was. What a hell of a way to go through a life, not knowing who you are.

I always told her that probably something had gone wrong. She couldn't understand why there were no records or information about who she really was. Very sad.

And, yeah, she was dumped at age 13 during the Depression. Real nice and NO safety net. Nope, nothing.

[MissB]

7. No shit.

If my dh were to croak today, I'd get nearly $4k a month in SS. It is a good deal of money- but it is that way because he has been paying into it.

It'd allow me to keep the house, and give me time to restart my career.

[daleo]

9. Predators always go after widows and orphans. n/t