Take A Stand: Social Security and the Millennial

“Isn’t Social Security the money taken out of my paycheck and put into savings for me? It doesn’t affect me as much as it would affect someone retiring, right? My grandfather used to collect it.  I’m not saving my money for when I retire… the government will give me the money I’ve been paying them anyway.”

If you would have asked me six to seven weeks ago what I knew about Social Security, that would have been my answer. I believed that the money taken out of my paycheck for Social Security was guaranteed for me to retire on when the time came. I thought that just like my grandfather, I would collect checks every month that would allow me to do the things I wanted to do and take care of myself accordingly. Today, it is now my reality that when I choose to retire I may not see the full amount of Social Security benefits that my grandfather saw when he was collecting it.  That’s because by 2034, Social Security will have to cut benefits by about 25 percent, across the board, unless our leaders in Washington update the program.

Since interning at AARP, I now see that what we working Millennials have been missing for years is the proper education about where our money goes when it is taken from our paychecks. For those Millennials reading this post … no, the small amount of money that gets taken from your paycheck does not go into YOUR Social Security benefits. It pays for the benefits of those who are currently retired and collecting Social Security. Yeah, you’ll probably never see that $15 that could have bought a burrito ever again.

Instead, your $15 is going towards making sure that your parents or grandparents or millions of other Americans their age are able to get by in retirement without having to work for the rest of their lives. The money that is taken out of your check is currently helping ensure that hundreds of thousands of people do not have to live in poverty.

You are probably helping put food in someone’s refrigerator – maybe even your mom’s and dad’s. You are making sure that the people who worked hard to pave the way for the newer generation (like us) have a roof over their heads and the medication they need.

My grandfather worked his entire life to make sure that my grandmother could raise their five children. He supported my mom and her siblings, none of whom ever went a day without shelter and food. After his children grew up and started families of their own, my grandfather was able to retire and collect Social Security to continue taking care of my grandmother. My grandfather has since passed, and my grandmother still collects his Social Security and is able to pay for medication, doctor visits and her other necessities. Social Security has helped keep her around for my family and me to continue loving every day.

I finally realize that although I may not be benefitting directly from Social Security right now, I benefit from it in other ways. And I hope that when the time comes, I will benefit from Social Security directly. That’s why I get AARP’s “Take a Stand” campaign to press the presidential candidates to fully detail their plans for updating Social Security and to press congressional candidates to commit to working toward a solution. It’s in all of our best interests.

Social Security is not an “old” person thing. It’s an American thing - because we all make it possible, and we all benefit. So we must all work together to make sure it stays strong.

Guest Blogger: Bria Hilliard is a Public Relations/Journalism graduate from Utica College. She is a NYC native currently residing in the Bronx.