AARP Iowa marks 90th anniversary of Social Security

By Mark Moran 

AARP Iowa is marking the 90th anniversary of Social Security by helping people understand its importance and hearing from Iowans about how much they rely on it.

The group is holding a series of events to highlight the program and stress the importance of its future, including several ice cream socials and an event at the Iowa State Fair.

Paige Yontz, state advocacy manager for AARP Iowa, said more than 687,000 Iowans rely on Social Security payments every month.

“And 42% of Iowans over the age of 65 rely on Social Security for at least 50% of their income,” Yontz pointed out. “For 17%, it makes up 90% of their income. So, this is something that’s incredibly important to Iowans.”

Data from AARP show more than 82 million people will rely on Social Security a decade from now, 13 million more than today.

Due to cuts to critical federal services under the Trump administration’s budget bill, some advocates are concerned Social Security will not be around in its current form for people who have been paying into it for decades. Yontz acknowledged there’s a big decline in confidence among people who will need the program in the future.

“We see now that younger adults are generally less confident in the fact that Social Security is going to be a part of their future,” Yontz reported. “Only 25% of people ages 18 to 49 are confident in the program’s future.”

The Social Security Trustees Report, released in June, showed if Congress does not act, the program will only be capable of paying 81% of promised benefits beginning in 2034.

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