Statement from AARP Michigan Director Paula D. Cunningham in Advance of the 2024 State of the State Address

“In advance of Governor Whitmer’s State of the State Address this week, AARP Michigan urges state leaders to provide relief for the estimated 1.73 million Michiganders who provide care for a loved one. We understand their struggle. According to an AARP national study, family caregivers on average spend $7,242 annually of their own income on caregiving. To ease this significant burden, AARP calls for the establishment of a caregiving tax credit that would help lessen the personal financial strain experienced by Michigan family caregivers across our state.

Additionally, AARP Michigan calls for state leaders to make it easier for people to save for retirement. Currently, more than 40% of Michigan’s private-sector workforce aged 18-64—workers at all levels of earnings, education, and backgrounds—do not have access to a retirement savings plan at work. The smaller the employer, the less likely its workers are to have access to a retirement plan. When individuals do not have enough retirement savings to live on, they are more likely to rely on public assistance programs. To bridge this financial security gap, AARP urges state leaders to support the creation of a privately managed, plug-and-play retirement savings option that allows employees to save money for the future through their paychecks.”