.jpg)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Carlos De Los Ramos (Latin Center)
(302) 655-7338 ext. 7707
Kathy Mimberg (NCLR)
(202) 776-1714
Enrique Cortez (LSR)
(202) 525-7411
“Latinos and Social Security, ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta!” town hall forum in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Del.—Current proposals to change Social Security and dismantle Medicare and Medicaid threaten to reduce the modest benefits that Latino seniors throughout the nation rely on for most of their income and their health care. This was the message delivered today at a town hall in Wilmington hosted by the Latin American Community Center (the Latin Center), NCLR (National Council of La Raza), and the Latinos for a Secure Retirement (LSR) coalition as part of the Latinos and Social Security, ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta! campaign.
The forum featured government officials, leaders from Wilmington’s growing Latino community, and national experts on these federal programs that provide some financial security to low-income seniors and others. The speakers noted that older Latinos are more likely than other seniors to access Medicare with the support of Medicaid so they may experience the worst of the repercussions from current proposals to reduce the federal deficit by cutting these programs and Social Security benefits.
“Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid improve the lives of Latino seniors,” said Carlos De Los Ramos, Public Relations Director for the Latin Center. “The Latin Center is committed to raising awareness in our community so that Hispanic Americans can participate in the debate about these critical programs.”
In Wilmington, Social Security contributes more than $1.2 billion to the local economy by paying benefits to more than 86,580 residents, including 55,655 retirees, 12,630 disabled workers, and 6,965 children. The Social Security program prevents 39,000 residents in Delaware from living in poverty.
Latino seniors are particularly vulnerable to cuts and changes because Social Security benefits represent nearly all of their income. While Social Security’s progressive benefit formula favors low-wage workers, Hispanic seniors receive the lowest average benefits due to lower lifetime earnings. Average yearly benefits for Hispanic seniors are only $12,213 for men and just $9,536 for women.
“Social Security protects and insures seniors, disabled workers, widows, and orphans,” stated Jeff Cruz, Executive Director of Latinos for a Secure Retirement. “The modest benefits that American workers earn could be strengthened with just minor tweaks, as outlined in our Protecting Social Security for All Americans plan.”
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is severely underfunded, which has led to unacceptable delays in benefit claims for disabled Latinos. This year, SSA closed several field offices, furloughed thousands of workers, and suspended the annual participant benefit statement. This is despite the fact that the program has not contributed one dime to the federal deficit and will remain financially solvent without any changes until 2037.
“Social Security is our nation’s most important social safety net and does not contribute to the deficit,” said Leticia Miranda, Associate Director of NCLR’s Employment and Economic Policy Project. “We can afford to improve benefits and access for low-income seniors while ensuring long-term solvency.”
The Wilmington forum is the second in a series being held across the country as part of the Latinos and Social Security, ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta! campaign.
###
For more information about the Latin American Community Center, visit www.thelatincenter.org.
For more information about NCLR’s social security initiatives please visit www.nclr.org/socialsecurity.
For more information about Latinos for Secure Retirement, visit www.latinosforasecureretirement.org.