Social Security

Overview

In 2009, more than 52 million Americans, including more than two million Hispanic seniors, received Social Security benefits after years of contributing part of their earnings to the system. Social Security provides basic economic security to retirees, survivors of deceased workers, and workers who become disabled, as well as members of their families. For the Hispanic community, the benefits of Social Security are critical, as they help keep the majority of Latino seniors out of poverty. Two-thirds of Hispanic workers are employed in jobs that do not offer any type of retirement plan. As a result, Hispanic seniors are more likely than non-Hispanic seniors to rely on Social Security as their sole source of income. The Hispanic community therefore has a major stake in any policy debate on Social Security.

NCLR will follow these principles to analyze any policy changes proposed to Social Security. Since Hispanic seniors have less access to Social Security and lower benefits than non-Hispanic seniors, access and adequacy of benefits are two key areas of concern to NCLR. See more facts about Latinos and Social Security here.

NCLR Latinos and Social Security Town Halls Series
In 2011, NCLR has joined forces with Latinos for a Secure Retirement to host town hall forums in Latino communities across the country. At these forums participants will learn more about Social Security, its importance to Latino families, and its long-term financial outlook. Participants will also learn about proposed changes to the system, and how those changes may impact Latino families. We will also hear from members of the Latino community about what Social Security means to them and what they desire for the future of Social Security. All events will be filmed and posted on this website and the NCLR YouTube channel. We will compile findings from these community meetings and share the results with our national leaders.

The first town hall is hosted by Congreso de Latinos Unidos and takes place on May 3, 2011 in Philadelphia, PA. If you are interested in hosting a Latinos and Social Security: ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta! Town Hall forum in your community, please contact socialsecurity@nclr.org. All meeting materials will be posted here as they become available: press release, campaign facts, event video, short video, and other materials.

NCLR Public Education Materials
As part of an ongoing public education campaign, NCLR has created bilingual educational materials that communicate the basics of Social Security and how to qualify for benefits. NCLR created these materials after first holding focus group meetings with Latino immigrant workers to better understand how they view the program and their key concerns and questions.

See NCLR Social Security Brochures:

• Social Security: What the Latino Community Should Know
• El Seguro Social: Lo que la comunidad latina debe saber

Listen to our audio public service announcement (PSA): (30 seconds I 60 seconds). The PSA ran on over 200 Spanish-language radio stations during the month of September 2010. This campaign also garnered interviews on ten national and local Spanish-language media outlets including television, radio, and print news.

NCLR Social Security VideoQuiz for Youth

The newest addition to NCLR’s public education campaign is the Social Security VideoQuiz. This VideoQuiz features a conversation with youth from Washington DC and provides information about Social Security in an interactive and entertaining way. As part of this campaign, NCLR is also holding a Latino youth video contest to inspire more youth to tell us why Social Security is important to them and their families.

For an overview of Hispanic retirement policy issues, please read the NCLR testimony Improving Retirement Security for Latinos: Overview of Racial and Ethnic Disparities and Ideas for Improvement.

For more information on Social Security, please visit the Social Security Administration, www.socialsecurity.gov.

For information on the Hispanic aging issues, please visit the National Hispanic Council on Aging, www.nhcoa.org.