I've seen a few bouquets thrown to Social Security this week in anticipation of its 75th birthday today. All of us know someone--a grandparent or parent (or even ourselves) who has managed to stay afloat at the end of their life thanks to the pension provided through Social Security. However, I don't think as many people know another group of Social Security beneficiaries--survivors. Come with me over the fold and I'll tell you a story.
From the Social Security website
The loss of the family wage earner can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die. In fact, 98 of every 100 children could get benefits if a working parent dies. And Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other federal program.
I'm thinking about Survivor Benefits today because I am a survivor and will bear witness to the impact this program had on my life and on that of my siblings.
In 1965 my seemingly healthy wonderful father succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 35. He left behind my mother (35) and six children between the ages of 12 (me) and 4. My mother had no money and no job. Aside from the overwhelming grief that we all suffered we were a family with no income and no prospects. Even as I look back on that time today my overriding memory is that of abject fear.
Just like in a movie or hundreds of novels my mother 'vowed' to keep her family together. And Social Security survivor benefits gave her the resources to keep that promise. Let me be clear--it wasn't pretty. It was powdered milk, bill collectors, part-time jobs and the angst that pervades a household living each day on the edge. We brawled and had minor scrapes with the law and caused my mother (and each other) every kind of aggravation and anxiety. But in the end, my mother raised six college-educated children who are shockingly stable (all six still married to their first spouse!). We all live in the same city, we're taxpayers, volunteers, parents, grandparents,and Democrats (Yah!). We have what we have and we are who we are thanks to my mother (who we are blessed to still have), to extended family and to Social Security Survivor benefits.
My family was held together because of the wisdom and generosity of a Democratic president and millions of Americans. I believe it has turned out to be a good deal for America--we're pretty productive and committed citizens--but nobody demanded that. We just got the chance to do it. And we got saved. Simple as that.