this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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[–] [email protected] 125 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Friendly reminder that all we need to do to make it solvent is get rid of the cap.

It's insane we have a max limit and not a minimum. Someone making 160k won't even notice the 6.2% on all of it, someone making 20k tho the 6.2% is life-changing.

The existing system was never designed for this level of wealth inequality.

Unfortunately the Republicans want to break it further and the Dem leadership refuse to acknowledge the obvious solution.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 1 month ago

the current wealth inequity is the main driver of all our current social ills.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's actually insane how little payroll deductions hit when you're at the 401k and social security max for the year. It's normal to see 1-2k more per check. Everyone benefits directly or indirectly from social security and we should all pay into it.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Ultimately the cap is because there is a max on how much you can receive per month. So they align with each other. But honestly if you're at the point where you're hitting the social security cap, then it's not even going to be your primary source of retirement. In which case capping benefits but not capping contributions would hardly be noticeable, but would help keep social security solvent.

To be clear, a maximum on monthly benefit, not total!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Ultimately the cap is because there is a max on how much you can receive.

Its an insurance program. The cap on how much you receive is based entirely on how long you live. If you die at age 65, you get nothing. If you die at age 102, you'll potentially receive much more than you deposited. Same for if you're disabled or you're a dependent of an insured person. Paul Ryan bragged about his dead father's SS benefits paying for his college degree, while advocating for an end to the survivor's benefit program.

Given that wealthier people tend to live longer, it makes perfect sense to uncap how much they pay.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The monthly payout of social security is based on how much you earned while you were working, which is roughly correlated with how much you payed in [0]. However, the monthly payment has a hard cap. No matter how much you earned while working, SS will not pay you more than someone who averaged $168,600/year. Even below that cap, there is a progressive structure, where those with a lower income see a larger marginal benefit.

[0] not exactly, as it only looks at you inflation adjusted best 35 years

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

The monthly payout of social security is based on how much you earned while you were working

But the lifetime payout is set by how long you live. Your total recoupment is based on the number of months you receive SS. There is never an age when you lose eligibility.

Even below that cap, there is a progressive structure, where those with a lower income see a larger marginal benefit.

People with low incomes have a host of additional problems - higher stress levels, poorer nutrition, less access to preventative and life sustaining medication.

This lowers their overall life expectancy and - as a consequence - the total recoupment they expect to receive from SS.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ultimately the cap is because there is a max on how much you can receive.

If you think OASDI is an investment...

It's not OASDI's fault you don't know what the acronym stands for.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

What?! How in the world did you get that out of what I said.

There is a maximum monthly benefit. Maybe I need to go back and reword it or something, because this totally misses my point.