Recent Attempts to Cut Your Social Security Benefits

For more than 50 years, AARP has been committed to protecting Social Security benefits for the millions of Americans who have paid into the program through a lifetime of hard work.

With a series of debates expected this year around the federal budget debt and deficits, it is important to remember the promises made by politicians to protect Social Security benefits for current seniors.

However, some in Washington are now pushing a budget proposal (called the " chained CPI") that would cut Social Security and other benefits for today's seniors and veterans — including disabled veterans and military retirees. The hidden consequence of this proposal means that current and future seniors and veterans would lose $129 billion in benefits over the next 10 years — and for the oldest Americans, that would mean losing a full month's check.

AARP believes that Americans deserve better than shortsighted cuts to their hard-earned benefits.  We will continue to show Congress, the President and Americans that resorting to a Chained CPI would force current retirees to lose a whole lot of money that they’ve earned.  We’ve released a Chained CPI  calculator, showing exactly how much we’d lose if Washington politicians change the way the cost-of-living adjustment is calculated for Social Security and veterans benefits.  The calculator can be found at  www.aarp.org/whatyoulose.

Many members of congress will be headed home this week for President's Day recess and AARP members in Pennsylvania will be meeting with them in local district offices  asking not to cut the benefits you have earned.

Please  sign AARP’s petition asking the White House and Congress not to cut our benefits today.