General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Repeat after me - benefit. Ben-e-fit. Benefit. Social Security is a BENEFIT. [View all]HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)tax filers (>$110K) pay 70% of income taxes, and a lot of that income is *capital* income. Bottom 50% of filers mostly pay nothing.
http://www.ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html
It doesn't matter how you "frame" anything, it matters what the *law* is. Welfare won't be there for you unless you have dependent children (unless your state is generous & has its own add-ons), and only for 5 years in any case -- thanks to that great democrat, bill clinton, who 'reformed' welfare during boom times when nobody cared about those 'lazy welfare cheats'.
Your other option is declaring yourself disabled and trying to survive on Supplemental Security Income (SSI, funded through the income tax), maximum payment = $771. and be prepared to be surveilled within an inch of your life for the privilege and in some cases to be forced to take psych drugs or lose your benefits. if you don't have a physical disability you will have to have a mental one, & if you have a mental one you are assumed to be in need of drugs. it's a scam to channel tax money to pharma, but what the hell, you get your miserly 'welfare' so who cares, right?
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSIamts.html
and should you ever wish to reenter normal life without the stigma of 'disability,' fergitaboutit. the label will follow you forever and affect your job prospects, rental prospects, etc.
and more cuts, and more surveillance, are coming (drug tests to collect benefits, anyone?)
with social security you collect your check & no one asks you to pee in a jar, they don't ask you if you're taking your psych drugs, they don't tell you to check in with a social worker, they don't spy on you to make sure you're living as they say you should.
that's the different between a "benefit" that someone gives you because you're a *dependent* and a social security check that you *earned* by paying into the system during your work life.