Social Security assertions untrue

Recently the Fence Post printed a letter in reference to Social Security. Unfortunately, the letter was not the author's original opinion, but copied word for word from an urban legend circulating the Internet since 2005.

It's a shame that so much of this junk gets passed around without any fact checking Some examples:

"The Social Security Act of 1935 states that participation in the program be completely voluntary." No, there was no provision in the Social Security Act of 1935, nor has there ever been any such provision, for the payment of payroll taxes, now known as FICA, to be voluntary.

Since its inception, the law has required that payroll taxes for persons working at jobs covered by Social Security shall be collected by the employer by deducting the amount of the tax from the wages paid.

Further, Social Security payroll taxes have never been deductible from income for tax purposes, either when the program was originally instituted or at any time since.

Another erroneous claim from the letter is that immigrants receive Social Security payments without having made any type of payroll contribution. In reality, no one, whether a citizen, immigrant or illegal alien, is eligible to collect Social Security benefits unless he or she or a parent or spouse has paid into the system.

Someone has confused Social Security itself with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) -- the latter is a federal welfare program designed to help aged, blind and disabled people who have little or no income by providing cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. Immigrants can qualify for SSI benefits under certain conditions, but it is financed by general revenues and not Social Security taxes.

SSI was not enacted by Jimmy Carter as the writer alleges; it was created and signed into law in 1972, during the administration of President Richard Nixon.

N.V. Helms

Arlington Heights