America must secure Social Security now

Today, on August 14, across the country and here in New York, we have been celebrating 90 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935. This began as a daring promise to American workers in the depths of the Great Depression has become one of the most successful and most loved programs in the history of our country.

Almost one New York in five – 3.76 million people are based on Social Security. This includes retirees, but also people with disabilities and children whose parents have died. And these payments do not only support individuals – they pump more than $ 79 billion in the New York economy each year.

Social security helps people stay at home, put food on the table, offer vital prescriptions and pay the bills. For 38% of older New Yorkers, it provides at least half of their income. For 836,000 New Yorkers aged 65 and over, this is the only reason why they do not live in poverty.

It’s personal. We all know someone – our parents, grandparents, neighbors – who depends on social security. Most of us pay ourselves in the program, counting to be there when we retire. We have won our slice of social security pie, and we deserve to know that it will be there when we need it.

This is why Aarp New York goes to everyone to celebrate the inheritance of Social Security while putting pressure for the necessary reforms to strengthen it for future generations. Through the state, we bring together the communities to share their “slice of history” on one of the most popular icons in New York: pizza.

Today, we are going to light up the horizon line in red, white and blue in legendary monuments – including Times Square, One World Trade Center, Grand Central Terminal and Niagara Falls – to honor 90 years of reliable support for millions of Americans.

Let’s be clear: Social Security is not going. It is a payment system as GO by pay taxes. As long as people work, money will continue in the system. But it faces long -term financing challenges. According to the latest report by social security administrators, if the congress does not act, the advantages could be reduced by around 20% in 2034. It is only nine years old.

The figures tell a clear story. More than 67 million Americans rely on social security and for 24 million people, it provides majority of their income – often the difference between stability and the crisis. In turn, it supports small businesses and strengthens entire communities.

During the 65 years when AARP fought to protect Social Security, the leaders of our country from the two parties supported it. In the past, legislators have met, Democrats and Republicans, to protect long -term social security. They did it in 1983 when they promulgated the social security amendments of 1983, a bipartite effort to resolve both short -term financing problems and the long -term challenges of the solvency faced by the Social Security system. They can and must start again.

And while we are fighting to protect the advantages, we must also repair a growing customer service crisis at the Social Security Administration. Currently, too many elderly people are faced with waiting times for several hours, with confusing processes and poor communication from the Social Security Administration. In New York, we heard people waiting for months for documents or completely abandoned because they cannot get help.

Nationally, the waiting times means of appealing increased from 61 minutes in September 2024 to 99 minutes in March 2025. Less than 40% of people calling the main line of social security administration can speak to a representative. These are not only statistics; These are obstacles to essential support. With 10,000 Americans, 65 years old a day, it is unacceptable.

The new directorate of Social Security Administration must make customer service an absolute priority, and the congress must ensure that the agency has staff and surveillance to meet the needs of the American people.

For 90 years, social security has never failed to pay. He kept generations of Americans outside poverty and gave them dignity to retirement. This is what was built to do. Now, it is our turn to do our part: to ensure that it is there for the next 90 years and beyond.

The AARP will never stop fighting to protect social security. We urge every New Yorker to find out more, talk to us and join us in this fight. Our future financial security depends on what we are doing now. We can fill the gap, strengthen the program and ensure that this promise from the foundation to the American people remains uninterrupted. Because we have won our slice, and our children and grandchildren also deserve theirs.

Finkel is the director of the state of AARP New York.