ACTION REQUEST: Send Personal Stories about Success of Social Security Benefits
July 7, 2005
Attached is an urgent Action Request from CCD Social Security Task about our need for personal stories to highlight the importance of Social Security benefits for people with disabilities and their families. The Request explains how people can help & there is an attached form for people to use to share their stories. Those who are interested may share their stories by mail, fax or email to info@c-c-d.org. The mailing address & FAX number appear at the end of the form. Please share the Action Request & story form as widely as possible so that we can collect stories to help fight efforts to privatize Social Security that will threaten guaranteed benefits for everyone!
The Issue: The President and others are aggressively promoting changes in Social Security to include private accounts to replace guaranteed benefits. Much of the discussion is about how benefits may change for people when they retire. We cannot afford to assume that people with disabilities will be protected in any plan that promotes privatization. We must increase the visibility of people with disabilities and their families in the debate about Social Security’s future. This Action Request has an important request for you to help protect benefits for you and your family’s future!
Background: For more information about how various changes would affect people with disabilities, be sure to read the CCD Fact Sheets and PowerPoint presentation posted at www.c-c-d.org, click on Social Security Task Force.
What You Can Do: The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities - a coalition of over 100 national consumer, provider & advocacy organizations - needs information to help protect the future of Social Security. The best way to educate the public and Members of Congress is to share real life stories of how people with disabilities and their families rely on Social Security benefits when the family wage earner become disabled, retires or dies. Changes in Social Security will have a huge impact on everyone who gets benefits – not just people who retire.
If you or a family member gets Social Security benefits, we want to hear from you! By giving us information, you may remain anonymous OR you may share your name with us. If you do share your name, please indicate on the attached form if you are willing to appear at a public meeting to talk about why Social Security benefits are so important for you and/or your family.
What we need are stories about Social Security benefits only, not about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If you receive only SSI benefits, please do not use this form. But if you get both Social Security and SSI benefits or if you are not sure which benefits you get, please share your story by completing the attached form.
You can help people better understand the risk of losing Social Security guaranteed benefits for eligible people with disabilities and their family members.
HELP SAVE SOCIAL SECURITY: SEND YOUR PERSONAL STORY
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities - a coalition of over 100 national consumer, provider & advocacy organizations - needs information to help protect the future of Social Security. As you know, there is a lot of discussion about changing Social Security. This is a very serious concern for people with disabilities and their families because changes in the program will have a huge impact on everyone who gets benefits – not just people who retire. If you or a family member gets Social Security benefits, we want to hear from you! By giving us information, you may remain anonymous OR you may share your name with us. If you do share your name, please indicate below if you would appear at a public meeting to talk about the importance of Social Security benefits for you and/or your family.
What we need are stories about Social Security benefits only, not about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If you receive only SSI benefits, please do not use this form. But if you get both Social Security and SSI benefits or if you are not sure which benefits you get, please share your story by completing this form.
YOUR PERSONAL STORY
___ I get a monthly Social Security check.
___ Someone else in my household gets a monthly Social Security check. This person is [describe relation to you] _____________________I get Social Security because [check answer that applies to you]:
___ It’s my own disability insurance because I can no longer work due to a disability.
___ It’s disability insurance from one of my parents or my spouse.
___ It’s my own retirement insurance because I no longer work.
___ It’s retirement insurance from one of my parents or my spouse.
___ It’s survivors insurance from one of my parents or my spouse who are now dead.Are you a “disabled adult child” under the Social Security rules? [This means that you have a severe disability that began before age 22; are not married; and are unable to earn more than a certain amount of money each month] Yes ___ No ___
___ I wish to remain anonymous. I live in _________________ [state].
___ I am willing to share anonymous private and confidential information about my personal/family story, including how we use the Social Security benefits, with public officials who are deciding the future of the Social Security program.
___ I am willing to have others publicly share my personal/family story, including how we use the Social Security benefits, and identify me/my family by name.
___ I am willing to speak at public meetings before public officials in my own state to share my personal/family story, including how we use the Social Security benefits.For each person in your household who gets Social Security benefits, please answer the following questions:
If you are the person who gets Social Security:
Age ____ Amount of monthly check ____ Received benefits for how long? ____If one of your parents gets Social Security:
Age ___ Amount of monthly check ____ Received benefits for how long? ____If one or more of your children gets Social Security:
Age(s) _________ Amount of monthly check(s) __________ Received benefits for how long? ____
What is your disability or the disability of your family member?How long did you (or your family member) work before receiving Social Security benefits? What was your job?
Please explain briefly why the Social Security benefits are important to you and your family.
It’s helpful to know how most people spend their Social Security benefits. Please check any items listed below that you use the money for and place a star [*] next to the 3 items where you spend the most money.
___ Rent or mortgage payment
___ Food
___ Utilities
___ Special food for person with disability in household
___ Clothing
___ Car payments/gasoline
___ Transportation
___ Medical bills
___ Prescription drugs
___ Respite care
___ Special services for person with disability in household
___ Education or job training
___ Others [please list]If you did not get this money from Social Security, what would you do? Could you get help from any other public or private agency?
When you hear about the President’s proposals to change Social Security, what concerns do you have?
Your name:___________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________
Phone number:________________________________________________
Email address:________________________________________________Please return this form by any of the following methods:
Mail: Disability Policy Collaboration,
Social Security Task Force,
1660 L Street NW, Suite 701,
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 202-783-8250
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