United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-05-17 monographic deposited born digital 17 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-706T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T P0b002ee180388958 f:d05706t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T GAO-05-706T Elderly persons Federal social security programs Income maintenance programs Income statistics Labor force Labor statistics Population statistics Program evaluation Social security benefits Statistical data Strategic planning Social Security Program Testimony A24278 Before Social Security was enacted in 1935, at least half of those 65 and older in the United States were financially dependent upon others, including family members and public assistance. Today, the elderly's dependency on public assistance has dropped to a fraction of its depression-era levels, and poverty rates among this group are now lower than for the population as a whole. However, Social Security's long-term financing problems will require changes to restore fiscal stability to the program. The challenge for policymakers will be to make the necessary changes while retaining protections that are so important to millions of Americans. The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Committee on Ways and Means asked GAO to discuss the importance of Social Security for vulnerable populations. This testimony will address the key provisions in the Social Security program that support vulnerable populations, the ways in which those populations and American society in general have changed over time, and the implications of those changes for the Social Security program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T.pdf GAO-05-706T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-706T Testimony GAO-05-706T; Social Security: Societal Changes Add Challenges to Program Protections; Elderly persons Federal social security programs Income maintenance programs Income statistics Labor force Labor statistics Population statistics Program evaluation Social security benefits Statistical data Strategic planning Social Security Program