Social Security

Women rely more heavily than men on income from Social Security. We're working to protect Social Security and improve benefits for vulnerable beneficiaries.

Highlights

Reports & Toolkits | Obama Plan Fails to Adequately Protect Long-Term Social Security Beneficiaries from Chained CPI

April 16, 2013

This analysis examines how effective the bump-ups for long-term beneficiaries that President Obama proposed in his FY 2014 budget would be in protecting the typical single elderly woman from the effects of the chained CPI.

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Coalition Action Materials | NWLC Supports the Social Security Enhancement Act

March 21, 2013

The National Women’s Law Center expresses its strong support for the Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2013. 

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Reports & Toolkits | Chained CPI Imposes Painful Social Security Benefit Cuts and a Benefit Bump-Up Provides Only Limited Relief

December 14, 2012

As part of deficit-reduction negotiations, some policy makers have proposed switching to the chained consumer price index (CPI) to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security and other programs. The chained CPI would lower the annual COLA more and more over time, reducing the value of Social Security benefits. Read more...

Reports & Toolkits | Cutting the Social Security COLA by Changing the Way Inflation Is Calculated Would Especially Hurt Women

June 23, 2011

Cutting the Social Security COLA by Changing the Way Inflation is Calculated Would Especially Hurt Women shows that women will be hit hardest by changing the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment from the CPI-W to the “chained CPI”.  This proposed change delivers a triple whammy to women.  Since women live longer than men, they face deeper cuts in their Social Security benefits under the chained CPI because the cuts get larger each year.  Women rely more on income from Social Security than do men, so these cuts would represent a greater share of their total retirement income.  And since older women are already more economically vulnerable than older men, these cuts will leave more of them unable to meet basic needs.

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More Resources

Fact Sheet | One-Sided Budget Proposals Threaten Women and Families, Shield Millionaires and Corporations

May 20, 2011

Explanation of how proposals for a global spending cap – which could be part of legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment – could force drastic cuts to programs that millions of women and families depend on, dismantling Medicare, Medicaid, and other critical programs, while doing nothing to restrain tax cuts for the rich and corporations.

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Fact Sheet | House GOP Budget Takes Trillions from Women and Families, Gives Trillions to Millionaires and Corporations

April 15, 2011

The House Republican budget resolution for fiscal year 2012 and beyond, released by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and passed by the House of Representatives on April 15, increases tax breaks for millionaires and corporations while eviscerating Medicaid, Medicare, and other programs vital to women and girls at every stage of their lives.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | Statement of Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security before the Seniors Task Force

April 06, 2011

Statement of Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security at the National Women's Law Center, before the Seniors Task Force on April 6.

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Fact Sheet | Why Women Should Vote: To Protect Social Security!

September 22, 2010

Social Security is important to all American, but women especially depend on Social Security's guaranteed, lifetime benefits. By voting, women can make sure our lreader in Washington pursue policies that protect and strenghten the Social Security system.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | Testimony of Amy Matsui, Senior Counsel, Before Senate Special Committee on Aging

June 14, 2010

This testimony is submitted by the National Women’s Law Center on behalf of the American Association of UniversityWomen, the National Consumers League, the National Organization for Women (NOW), OWL (the Older Women’s League), and the Pension Rights Center: all nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organizations committed to promoting women’s retirement security. The undersigned commend Chairman Kohl for making women’s retirement security a priority of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and appreciate the opportunity to submit written testimony for the Committee’s hearing on expanded access to lifetime income payments.

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