Social Security & Retirement

Social Security

Tell Congress to Protect Social Security

The "chained CPI" is a stealth cut to Social Security.

Tell your lawmakers to keep it out of their budget negotiations.
Chained CPI

A Stealth Cut to Social Security

The chained CPI is a Social Security cut that gets worse the longer you live. If passed, it would result in significant cuts to Social Security benefits. 

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Strengthen 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.

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Social Security

Social Security State-by-State

To help you make the case for protecting Social Security, we have updated our state-by-state fact sheets.

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Social Security
Cuts to Benefits?
Protecting Social Security
Social Security State-by-State

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...

Fact Sheet | Women and Social Security

October 4, 2013

Social Security benefits are especially important to women—and women’s average benefits are just $12,700 per year. The proposed cuts to Social Security are cuts that women and families cannot afford. Check out this this fact sheet to learn more key facts on the impact of Social Security on women and their families.

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More Resources

Coalition Action Materials | Letter in Support of the Rebuild America Act

March 29, 2012

The National Women's Law Center sent this letter in support of Sen. Tom Harkin's Rebuild America Act. The Act will strengthen women and families' economic security while ensuring that millionaire's and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

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Fact Sheet | The Rebuild America Act: Expanding Opportunity and Economic Security for Women, Ensuring Millionaires and Corporations Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes

March 29, 2012

This fact sheet explains how Sen. Tom Harkin's Rebuild America Act will benefit women and families while ensuring that millionaires and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

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Fact Sheet | New Census report supports NWLC’s findings that proposed Social Security cuts would especially hurt elderly women

November 18, 2011

Women are three-quarters of the very elderly (individuals 90 and older) and very elderly women are more economically insecure and more likely to have a disability than very elderly men. These facts show that changing the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) from its current index to  the “chained CPI” will result in significant cuts to Social Security benefits that deepen over the years and dramatically increase economic insecurity among the elderly—especially women.

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Fact Sheet | House Balanced Budget Amendment (H.J. Res. 2): Rewriting the Constitution to Raid the Social Security Trust Fund

November 16, 2011

The balanced budget amendment (H.J. Res. 2) would amend the Constitution to require that federal spending in any fiscal year not exceed revenues collected in that fiscal year unless three-fifths of members in each chamber of Congress agree to additional spending. Along with forcing the federal government to take steps that would weaken the economy during a recession, H.J. Res. 2 could force cuts to the Social Security benefits, even when Social Security has ample reserves.

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Coalition Action Materials | National Women’s Law Center Opposes Balanced Budget Amendment, H.J. Res. 2

November 14, 2011

The National Women's Law Center sent a letter to the House of Representatives opposing the balanced budget amendment (H.J. Res. 2). Compliance with a balanced budget requirement would likely require major cuts to vital programs, including Social Security, and would dangerously weaken the federal government’s ability to respond to recessions, emergencies, and new challenges.

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