One in six Idahoans now receives Social Security benefits, according to the Idaho AARP; the program marks its 77th anniversary tomorrow, amid debate about its future solvency. Idahoans collect $3.6 billion a year from Social Security, with the average monthly benefit check at $1,130, AARP says; for two in three Idaho seniors age 65 or older, Social Security makes up 50 percent or more of their income.
Nationally, AARP has launched a “You've Earned a Say” campaign to mark the 77th anniversary, urging Americans to join in the debate about the future of Social Security and Medicare. “We've enlisted policy experts from the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation to help lay out the pros and cons of the options for the public,” said Idaho AARP spokesman David Irwin, noting that future solvency options for Social Security being examined in the nation's capitol include raising the retirement age; recalculating the cost-of-living adjustment; and increasing or eliminating the payroll tax cap, which now exempts wages over $110,000 a year from Social Security taxes.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
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