Human Services News

From: The Urban Institute

Social Security keeps millions of American women out of poverty in old age, but many low-income unmarried women remain at risk. The program provides more generous benefits to some women over others with the same earnings, and favors married women who do not work outside the home. Renewed attention to Social Security's long-term deficit offers an opportunity for reform to recognize women's changing roles without creating inequities, discouraging work, or harming the most vulnerable.

This brief discusses features of Social Security that have greater ramifications for women and considers proposals to make benefit distribution more equitable to women.

http://www.urban.org/publications/900902.html