Question we should ask those who advocate for raising the retirement age.

[HiPointDem]

18. I linked a social security administration page with the history of SS disability benefits -- which,

unlike yourself, actually read.

Much of the conceptual work that underpinned Social Security Disability Insurance took place in the 1930's and early 1940's.

Passage of the measure did not occur until the 1950's. The delay reflected the understandable lack of attention to domestic policy during the years of World War II and the reality that public assistance paid higher benefits and reached more people than did Social Security between 1935 and 1950.

Social Security Disability Insurance did not receive serious attention from Congress until the Committee on Ways and Means held hearings on this topic, and other topics related to Social Security, in 1949... the Committee included a disability insurance program in the bill that the House of Representatives passed in 1949. The Senate chose to emphasize rehabilitation, rather than cash benefits, and did not include disability insurance in its version of the Social Security bill that was passed in 1950. The House receded in conference, and as a compromise measure Congress adopted a new public assistance category, Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled... A series of incremental, compromise laws in 1952 and 1954 paved the way for the final passage of SSDI in 1956.

SS has been paying disability in some form since 1949 and in full form since 1956. Disability insurance was included in the original conceptualization and discussion of SS.

SS taxes have increased to cover SSD -- one of the reasons we now pay 6.2% instead of 1%. You're probably also not aware of the SS benefits that have been *cut back* or cut altogether since the 70s, either.

It takes TEN YEARS of work to vest in SS. You may call it a "pittance," I don't.

Assuming that you were born after 1928, you need 40 quarters, or 10 years of work and associated payment of Social Security taxes.

http://www.retirementincomevisions.com/retirement-income-visions/2011/03/your-social-security-retirement-asset-part-3-of-3.html

Yes, you can get disability if you've paid enough into the system to become vested. If you think that's problematic, you don't understand how insurance works.

And the "young people" you talk about who are getting disability are mostly getting SSI, i.e. "welfare" paid out of general revenues, not out of Social Security taxes. Because if you start working at 18 you have to be at least 28 to be vested.

It's really pompous to call people "grasshopper" and tell them they're "unwise" and "incorrect" when it's clear you don't know much about the history of the program or how it works.