AARP Idaho to host Social Security Telephone Town Hall

The program is secure today, but changes must be made to ensure future generations get the benefits they’ve earned.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

On August 29^th at noon MTN, AARP Idaho will host a telephone town hall with Tom Nicholls, an AARP Government Affairs Director and Social Security expert to discuss the state of the program, solutions for fixing this invaluable earned benefit and the latest discussions taking place in Congress. He will also answer specific questions from callers from around the state. AARP Idaho interim state director Cathleen Simlar will moderate the call.

The statewide town hall is scheduled for Thursday, August 29^th and begins at noon MTN. Participants can join by:
• dialing toll-free 866-767-0637
• streaming live on AARP Idaho Facebook page.

Questions can also be emailed prior to the call at aarpid@aarp.org

“Washington must find a solution to protect Social Security, so Idahoans get what they’ve earned,” said Cathleen Simlar, AARP Idaho interim state director. “While the program will not run out of money, there is a chance that in 10 years it only pays out about 80% of earned benefits. This call will discuss the current state of Social Security, what changes are necessary to ensure it’s protected, and answer any questions Idahoans may have about their benefits.”

The importance of this program is undeniable. More than one in five Idaho residents (370,385 people) receive Social Security benefits. These payments inject more than $6 billion into the Gem State’s economy every year and for most retirees, Social Security is their largest source of income. The average retired worker benefit in Idaho is now $1,517 a month.