A group of seniors celebrated the 90th anniversary of Social Security in Corona on Friday, Aug 1.
AARP New York hosted the celebration at Corona Pizza, located at 51-23 108th St., where attendees enjoyed complimentary pizza slices as part of the organization’s “Slices of the Story” Pizza Pop-Up Activation. The Pizza Pop-Up is part of a statewide campaign of 150 activations in celebration of the anniversary, which falls on Aug. 14.
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng also joined the group of residents to hear how the program has shaped their lives. Meng’s district (D-6) covers the areas of Flushing, Rego Park, Corona and Forest Hills.
According to Meng, of the approximately 700,000 residents living in her district, over 125,000 of them receive social security benefits. Meng said that the 90th Anniversary of Social Security comes with mixed reactions from her constituents, as many are worried about the possible privatization of Social Security and a decrease in benefits under the Trump administration.
“We fought back against some of the challenges this year. For example, the administration wanted to eliminate phone services, alot of our constituents need to make calls instead of having to go to an office in person, and so the cancellation of phone service was restored,” she said.
Meng added that her constituents also successfully opposed the closing of Social Security offices in Rego Park and Flushing.
“As worried as people are about social security, I think it’s important to note that they’ve had some wins this year, and we will continue to fight to preserve social security,” she said.
Beth Finkel, AARP New York State director, said the event highlights the significance of Social Security and reminds citizens that it should be upheld for future generations.
Finkel shared that AARP lobbies on behalf of consumers to ensure that Social Security is still available in the future.
She shared that she began paying into Social Security at 16 years old, during her high school years working at a women’s clothing store on Austin Street in Forest Hills.
“I’ve been paying in for many decades, and I feel very strongly that I earned it, I worked for it. Everyone that you talk to, who’s working, paid into it, and knows that it’s owed to them,” she said.
Finkel said that a recent AARP survey conducted across various age ranges showed that only 25% of 18-24-year-olds had confidence in Social Security benefits. Overall confidence in Social Security also dropped 7%, according to Finkel.
Finkel points to elected officials’ claims that changes must be made to Social Security as the main reason why the younger generation is losing confidence in the government benefits program.
“That’s scary to them… there are all sorts of changes that they could put in there that could affect people of all age groups. They’re hearing this rhetoric all the time, without any kind of reassurance that their security is going to be there for them,” she said.
According to Finkel, across New York State, Social Security is the only income that nearly 1 in 5 retired New Yorkers have, meaning they live, on average, on a budget under $20,000 a year.
Kitty Ruderman, 79, is a Forest Hills resident and AARP volunteer, who shared the significance of social security as a retired senior.
Ruderman said that she relies on both her pension from her two-decade-long role as an executive secretary at a financial firm, as well as social security, to pay for her rent and expenses.
“I don’t know what I would do without social security,” she said. “ I have been working my whole life and paying into [social security]. When I stopped working, that’s what I relied on. I tried to get some part-time jobs, but at 79, my arthritis is debilitating,” she said. “I just hope that it’s going to be there for our children.
