The American Dream is Alive

Multiethnic Group of Friends with United States FlagNow, more than ever, is a good time to reflect on diversity to build a better future, as a unified nation. Let’s celebrate our differences without forgetting our fundamental likeness. We are all Americans who believe in freedom and democracy for all.

This is what the American dream is all about. Everyone deserves a comfortable retirement, free of economic hardship.

Social Security has retirement benefits and the tools to help you plan for your retirement, and to apply for benefits online. We also provide disability benefits to individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from working. If the disabled individual has dependent family members, they can also receive payments.

If you or anyone you know is disabled, they may qualify for disability benefits. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a one-in-four chance of becoming disabled before reaching full retirement age. To see if you meet our strict definition of disabled, read our publication Disability Benefits.

Widows, widowers, and their dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits. 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. Go online to learn more about Social Security’s survivors benefits.

Honoring each other begins with fair and equal treatment. Social Security guarantees that, if you pay into the system and meet our eligibility requirement, you will receive the benefits due to you. We want to make sure our diverse nation is covered, that everyone gets the benefits they deserve, and that no one is left out. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov to learn more.

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48 thoughts on “The American Dream is Alive

  1. baloney!!! In UK seniors like everyone get free medical and they also get free drugs and free public transport and theres no reason why anyone needs be homeless
    ALSO streets etc are clean and crime is low

      • DEMS ARE THE ONES KILLING THE COUNTRY. PLUS THE POLITICIAN IN BOTH PARTIES ONLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND FAMILIES.
        LETS HAVE THEM PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY,THEN MAYBE IT WILL GET FIXED WITH A NORMAL COST OF LIVING.
        THE GAVE THEMSELVES HIGH PENSIONS AND MEDICAL FOR THEIR SPOUSE ALSO.
        WE ELECT CROOKS IN BOTH PARTIES. THAT’S WHY THEY HATE TRUMP. HE IS NOT YOUR POLITICAL MACHINE.

      • I have no idea where you get your information from, but it sounds as if you have been brain washed by the liberals. I have NOT heard one democrat/progressive that tells the truth! I am going with Trump, 100%. He is not perfect, but he will be 1000% better than Clinton. She is a communist with the title of democrat, but then most progressives are communists. No Thanks!

    • Nothing is free. The people who pay taxes foot the bill. Streets are clean? Doubt it is any different than in the States and the Brits are overrun with aliens who commit so much crime that the police can’t go into their enclaves.

  2. Everyone does deserve a life free of economic hardship yet the govt programs to assist with such a life in America have not been 21st century reality. I have met many who have failed and needed a had up yet the govt programs design of yesteryear are now creating no way out.

    As a single mother today works to eliminate the need for assistance, the increase in childcare pay hinders any out. Those with special needs children who do not want to be on the system are forced there to ensure their child has the care they need since private insurance companies do not provide all the services that Federal and State funded insurance provides. All special needs children should be entitled to the same care regardless of private or govt insurance. Why are taxpayers charged while private insurance is not held accountable?
    We are all aware the means to America’s growth arrived with a multitude of environmental issues that are leading to health related issues today. The cost of progress much like the cost of health relative to gasoline and alcohol. Wars and those with compromised genetic markers all from exposure to the unknown or yet to be identified are costing the children of this nation. We cannot continue to sue for what has been. It is time to look to the realities of today, ensure those in need regardless of income receive the medical coverage needed. We need to gain control of today and ensure yesterday’s mistakes are not carried forward.

    • I want to applaud your ability to articulate, in such a succinct manner, and navigate a very large social chasm that needs exploration and public explanation to at least the degree of your obvious understanding. Bravo and thank you for your generous sharing. Pamala L. Tampa, Fl.

  3. Are you serious? The American Dream has been decimated and destroyed by this Administration! Remember ‘you didn’t build that’? and pitting one group against another — mainly the productive/successful against the non-productive/non-successful, race against race and government versus the private sector. It’s an absolute joke but you go on thinking all is well!

    • Not this administration, but all the admins since the 1980s. Republicans and Democrats, chasing election campaign dollars and after-politics sincures, have all participated in selling off the security of the 99% for the dollars of the 1%. Vote progressive from the lowest local levels to the highest office of the land.

      • Most politicians are progressive. How has that worked for you? The country is not only broke, our enemies own our debt. Progressive run cities are bankrupt. Two generations of free handouts have created a class who feel the govt OWES them everything. Get the govt out of the way and out of our personal lives.

    • While what you say is true, that dream has been slowly eroded away for the last 100 years and accelerated in the last decade. What is really sad is the fact that this site is being used as a propaganda arm of the federal government. The people don’t want freedom and democracy, they want freedom and a restoration of the Democratic Republic. This is evidenced every time they post some PC garbage and get so many off the topic remarks which features the frustration that people feel.

  4. No doubt you’re not going to read these posts, Mr. Borland, because you don’t care, and, believe me, we are well aware of how you and our federal, state, county, and local governments don’t care. The middle class is disappearing. Cuts have been made to Medicare. SS recipients aren’t going to get anything this January 1 (1917). Infrastructure throughout The US is bad. (It’s going to take millions to replace failing water pipes where In live, in ABQ, NM – and that’s just ONE city.) Education is a really bad joke. There are no real jobs. Workplace benefits are disappearing. SS has raised the retirement age; however, according to Medicare, almost half of The US population cannot work by the age of 65 due to one or more illnesses/injuries. But there is plenty of money for foreign aid and how about this: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/02/02/Pentagon-s-Too-Big-Fail-F-35-Gets-Another-106-Billion. SHAME on you, Mr. Borland, for just repeating the party lies. How do you sleep at night? I hope you don’t.

  5. This article is so full of leftist drivel that it was difficult to read and digest. I cringe whenever I see the left say what people “deserve.” Most of their giveaways go to people who have done nothing to receive the benefits that they are receiving. How many people from Central and South America are receiving Social Security benefits as soon as they cross the border illegally? The last paragraph of this article is a joke.

  6. Perhaps, SS was a good thing after the Great Depression; forced saving for the retirement years. Somewhere along the line, government decided it was too good a thing and started messing in the system. Now, SS is distributed to those that haven’t/don’t contribute and SS is taxed up to 85% if one desires to continue to be a productive member of society. Make too much in any one year, and the monthly distribution is lowered. These funds were contributed by the taxpayer and when it comes time to “pony up” there is some yo-yo making decisions with our funds. The government uses SS contributions as a “slush” fund for their every whim and spends money like there is no tomorrow. We are told that our national debt is 19 trillion, more than double what it was 7 years ago. and rising at the rate of 150 billion per day. How much of that 10 trillion did the average American receive? I would wager that a majority of the lawmakers in our government have a net worth of more than 7 figures, with many of them in the 8 to 9 figure range. I would also wager that a majority of Americans have a difficult time stretching their paychecks from month to month. Please pass the crumbs……..

  7. My comment noted previously today was directed at the comments of Barbara Maloney on this days blogs. Thank you Sir for at least attempting to reach out to Americans with information and the opportunity for dialog in the Land of the Free.

  8. Fair and equal treatment?? When did that start. I must have missed it. I watch my daughter struggle to pay her student loans and to live with basic needs but people come into our country and get free education and whatever they need to live a lot better then the rest of us. This is why Trump keeps getting criticized because he wants to take people in this country first. Why is that so difficult to understand? I guess if you don’t struggle like all these politicians you wouldn’t get it. Makes me sick!!!!

  9. I have a client that has requested SSA to pay her retirement to her for the last 13 years. No one at Social Security in White Plains, NY responds to her requests, in person, in writing, with a representative, with an Advocate. Recently, SSA sent her a letter confirming that she was deceased. She took the letter and went into the SSA office, showed them the letter and said “Look at me, I’m not dead. Please pay me all my back-due retirement benefits.” NO RESPONSE. She is now 78 years old. TELL ME JIM BORLAND, me as her Advocate/Rep., please email me to tell me who do I talk to for help (karenmesh@gmail.com) as to what I can do to expedite her request in NY so she gets paid ALL HER back RETIREMENT BENEFITS plus COLA and interest due ASAP (it’s July 4, 2016!). She has paid taxes on between $250K-$350K into the IRS since 1987 working 2-3 jobs a month.

    • Karen, unfortunately, your client’s situation is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. For security purposes, we do not have access to individual’s personal records in this venue. We do ask that members in our Blog community continue to work with our offices with questions about their specific cases. We hope this matter is resolved soon.

  10. If you do not like social security, when you turn 65, fill out the form indicating your refusal to collect it, if you do not it only means that you are in agreement with any and all social services listed by Karl Marx.
    World wide social security has wiped out powerty among the elders, even if you have never put any money into it, you will get a little something.
    I have paid federal, state, city and social security taxes for 43 years and I feel good and proud to do so. I have seen many families getting benefits and their checks have never bounced. I sleep good knowing I helped some one, may be a neighbor, may be a member of my family, who knows for sure it feels good.
    Government has no money, they collect our taxes and manage it, sometimes mismanagement, but think, if it did not worked, how the they managed to build and grow the most wealthy nation ever in the history of the world, the strongest ever known and yes we borrow money but that is also one of the ingredients of our system.
    Relax, breath in and believe. After the storm, there will always be calm.
    Almost forgot, I am Mexican.
    Be well.

  11. I agree with what Mr. Cesar said.Very well put and I am not Mexican. My husband worked for 38 years at one Union job, but some years before that. He has collected SS for 14 years. Is happy to have something to help out for all the years he did pay into it. There should never be a cap on SS for anyone to ever finish paying into it. Be happy that there is something to help out now.

  12. What about, the American People that have worked, since we were 13 or 14yrs old, we have paid intro Medicaid and Medicare System for years and some of us still have to hold down a part time work from home jobs or do something else part time… People fail to realize we do not like it to become Disabled, because we choose this life, but to be talked about, what if the shoe was on the other foot..

    I don’t live off of Assistance, I paid into the System and I will continue as long as the Heavenly Father let me…

    Debra Boney

  13. For what seniors????? Not anyone I know including myself! What dream> it has been a nightmare since I retired and we (seniors are being constantly overlooked!)

  14. “Everyone deserves a comfortable retirement, free of economic hardship”, unless you are a physically disabled person and happen to marry an able bodied person, then the SOCIALIST SECURITY system will use special “Rules” to legally discriminate against you and deny you benefits. The SOCIALIST SECURITY system has caused me a lot of economic hardship all because I married an able bodied person. The SOCIALIST SECURITY system thinks someone who is physically disabled (permanently and totally disabled) marries an “able bodied person”, that somehow magically they are cured of their physical disability and two people can survive off the able bodied persons income. WOW, talk about a bunch of bureaucratic idiotic thinking, that somehow this would not cause a financial hardship….. amazing.

    The rules that the Social Security Administration uses to legally discriminate against persons who are “Adult Disabled Children” who happen to marry an able bodied person, are discriminatory. This is loosely referred to as the “marriage penalty” but I call it exactly what it is, a legal form of discrimination.
    I firmly believe this rule, is an act of bias, prejudice and discrimination against people who (by no fault of their own) are born disabled and happen to marry an able bodied person

    Please write your Congressional Representative and tell them to end this modern day form of Legal Discrimination. In this day of fairness and equality, there are still some people suffering from an outdated and oppressive bureaucratic rule.

    • A dependent child is no longer dependent upon you when they marry, they depend upon their spouse, why should the taxpayer have to bear the burden?

      • How does getting married make that adult disabled child, any less disabled?

        If they could not find work before getting married due to their disability, how does getting married, fix everything?
        Either way, that burden defaults to the taxpayer, either by not working and no money going into the system or in the form of benefits.

        If the adult disabled child is totally disabled and unable to work, then how does getting married change the fact that the person is still totally disabled and unable to work.

        • Tammy, thanks for your questions. Adult disabled child’s benefits generally end if the individual gets married. However, some marriages (for example, to another adult disabled child) are considered protected.
          The rules vary, depending on the situation. For more information about adult disabled child’s benefits, click here.

          • Thanks, been down that road time and time again. So the message that Social security is sending out is, (if you are an adult disabled child) before you start going out with, getting to know, date and form a relationship with someone, it is the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR that they are also a DISABLED PERSON?

            What kind of logic is that? Can’t you see how discriminatory that rule is? Just because someone who is disabled chooses to marry an able bodied person, how does that marriage make the disabled person- any less disabled?

            I get that fact that personnel at the SOCIALIST SECURITY administration are like drones, unable to think or say anything other than “The rules say” or “Guidelines must be followed”, but certainly there must be ONE person there who is able to clearly see how wrong this specific “RULE” is?

            Maybe not…….

  15. When will we get our cost of living raises back? We are helping people who have money and don’t need it we live pay check to pay check and need it.

    • Martie, thanks for your question. By law, the Social Security Administration uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the Department of Labor to calculate Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Based on last year’s calculations, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 65 million Americans did not increase. For more information about COLAs, click here.

  16. Please you need to know that my account I haven’t money since few days.
    so I need your help for have emergency money right now, Could I have my Direct Deposit ? and if you can sent it. It ‘ll be very help, I need pay something very important to do
    8/July/ 2016. also. Here’s my ( account number:
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

    Sorry about that. and Thanks so much.
    Sung Ja Lee / Sonia

  17. Why in the world do the taxpayers have to pay to produce this blog? Why would we celebrate diversity rather that our common humanity. This junk is leading to the fracturing of our country rather than unification.

  18. PERDON QUE LA CONSULTA SEA EN ESPAÑOL.
    YO TENGO UNA JUBILACIO DE U7STEDES DE EXTREMA POBREZA….$ 461 DOLARES
    YO NO VIVO EN USA VIVO EN CHILE.
    HAY ALGUN BENEFICIO PARA LAR PERSONAS QUE NO VIVEN EN USA COMO EL CASO MIO.
    YO ME QUEDE POR ENFERMEDAD EN CHILE
    GRACIAS DE ANTEMANO POR SU RESPUESTA.

  19. American dream is on its Deathbed, because high taxes and regulations are Killing small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy!
    Fake low unemployment rate, because all the millions of Americans who have given up seeking jobs are Not counted!!
    Neither Hillary or Trump have a record of helping the economy, but only their own wealth!
    Seems that Trump has hired more illegals than citizens, and has been sued many times for Not paying them properly!!

  20. For those of us having to pay a Medicare Part b Penalty. Why can not our benefit statement break down our medicare part b cost into two parts? 1. Premium amount;
    2. Penalty Amount.

    Thanks ,

    Jesse C.

  21. We all need to respect the diversity of others and help people live better lives – and that sometimes means helping people out with financial assistance. It is what makes a nation progressive, and it is the ethical way to live. Benefits should only be for those people that really need them – the key is to set the standards so that the right people get what they need.

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