Celebrating 90 years of Social Security amid concerns for its future

Roanoke, Va. As AARP Virginia’s southwest region volunteers joined the many statewide and national celebrations marking Social Security’s 90th anniversary, speeches commending the program’s importance to generations of Americans were accompanied by concerns about its future.

Recent projections show the Social Security Trust Fund becoming insolvent in 2034. If that happens, the Social Security Trustees say payments could be cut by 19 to 23 percent.

To celebrate the first 90 years, AARP joined forces with the Local Office on Aging in Roanoke with cake and ice cream — and Social Security Plinko, with each of the more than 100 attendees winning a prize. All players were winners after hearing one question about Social Security and learning if their answer was correct. One question asked how many times Social Security has ever missed a payment in its 90-year history. The answer is never.

Jacqueline DeBerry celebrated the anniversary and joined in the Plinko. She says Social Security helps provide a life in retirement that provides her peace of mind.

“Social Security was important to me because it helped me to be able to retire and not have to worry about my funds,” DeBerry said. “Because with my Social Security and my savings from working for 30 years, I was able to retire and not have to worry about having to work again or having to pay my bills and not wonder how I was going to pay my bills.”


Like many others, DeBerry is concerned that a program she spent decades contributing to might not keep its promise to provide the full retirement income that she earned.

“I think it would impact me as far as being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and the funds be available to do it,” she said.

Jennie Robertson expressed similar worries that later into her retirement years, Social Security might not provide the income to pay the bills and allow her and her husband Carl to make the most of their post-retirement lives.

“That’s income I need,” Robertson said. “It would be a concern if that's not around as we hear some things like that.”

Right now, there are close to 70 million Americans receiving Social Security payments. Speakers emphasized that AARP is working to ensure that Social Security remains fully funded for those who have worked and contributed to it for decades. AARP urged everyone at this celebration — and all Americans — to contact their elected representatives and tell them to protect and strengthen Social Security.

More than 1.6 million Virginians rely on Social Security to pay their bills. Nearly 22,000 residents of the city of Roanoke receive Social Security payments, pumping $420.2 million into the city’s economy each year. In Roanoke County, 24,735 residents receive payments, contributing $559.9 million to the local economy.

In the city of Roanoke, 14,635 retired workers, 3,990 disabled workers, 1,475 surviving spouses of deceased workers and 1,470 children receive Social Security. The average monthly payment to a city retiree is $1,797 while disabled workers receive an average of $1,345.

There are 19,385 retired workers receiving Social Security in Roanoke County, along with 2,460 disabled workers, 1,720 surviving spouses and 1,170 children. The average payment to county retirees is $2,002 while disabled workers receive an average of $1,624.