Social Security Act - Research Paper Example

Social Security Act The Social Security Act was originally created in 1935, but has been revised numerous times, even though most of the original aspects of the original Act still remains. Social Security is a government-based program that provides funds for retired people. This Act first came to be after the Great Depression, which resulted in many elderly Americans being out of work and left in poverty. The Social Security Act enables retired people to have the money they not only need but deserve to ensure that they have a financially stable future.

People that are disabled and are unable to work are also able to make use of the Social Security system. This program especially benefits those workers that have paid into the system during their entire working life. The Social Security Act helps to provide financial assistance for retirees, the unemployed, and people who have disabilities that prevent them from working and making their own living. Other categories of people that can benefit from Social Security include families with dependent children, maternal and child welfare, and the blind.

The money for the Social Security fund comes directly from a percentage of a worker’s paycheck. Unfortunately, while those that currently receive Social Security appreciate the system, there are workers that are on edge about what will happen to them when they retire. There may be money in the system now - their money - but they fear that by time they retire there will be no money left for them. They are involuntarily contributing to a system they might not be able to benefit from when they retire.

Another controversy in regard to the Social Security system was that there would be a loss of jobs, but this was given a convincing counterargument: older workers would be inspired to retire knowing that the Social Security system would take care of them financially, therefore making room for younger people to obtain jobs. Before the Social Security Act became what it is now, it was a system that lacked the proper security that people needed after retirement. The first version of the Act did not include women and minorities for unemployment insurance and old age pensions.

The only jobs that were eligible for Social Security benefits were considered “white male” occupations. Teachers, nurses, hospital employees, government employees, and agricultural labor were among those occupations that were not qualified for Social Security (Dobelstein). At the time, women were only able to get their insurance through their husbands or children. However, children born out of wedlock and their mothers were not entitled to Social Security. Since it was first written, the Social Security Act has been revised and improved upon.

Various amendments were added to include more people in the coverage of Social Security, or to change the terms or responsibilities of those applying for Social Security benefits. Social Security now covers almost every person, whether they have paid into the system or not, and regardless of their occupation. It took a while for the government to change the provisions around ethnic minorities, preferring to tend to women first, but they eventually were added to the list of people who are entitled to receive Social Security.

Nowadays, the Social Security system has reached an almost universal coverage. The Social Security system ensures that people that are unable to work or have already completed their working lives have the financial support to continue on with the rest of life. The Social Security system had not always been what it is now, but as time changed and needs began to evolve in the United States, revisions were made to the Act to enable everyone who is eligible to receive the money they are putting up with each paycheck.

Works CitedDobelstein, Andrew. Understanding the Social Security Act: The Foundation of Social Welfare For America in the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA, 2009.