Social Security

Social Security is consistently ranked as the most popular federal program and is the most effective anti-poverty program in the history of our nation. Although Social Security is part of the foundation that has helped put many retirees on the path to a secure retirement, the program has been under attack in recent years. Politicians have pushed for radical changes to the program, including raising the age of eligibility.

AFT retirees have worked in coalition with groups such as the Alliance for Retired Americans and Social Security Works to fight these attacks—rallying in opposition to a proposed reduction to the program’s cost-of-living increase, meeting with elected officials to discuss the needs of current and future retirees, and supporting legislation that seeks to strengthen and expand Social Security. The AFT is also among a number of unions and organizations calling on Congress to fully fund the Social Security Administration’s budget to restore services and keep field offices open.

The AFT supported our members in a years-long grassroots campaign for Social Security Fairness that culminated in January 2025 when President Joe Biden finally repealed the WEP and GPO penalties and fully restored our hard-earned benefits. Now, we must continue the fight to protect and secure Social Security by scrapping the cap on the Social Security payroll tax to make the wealthy pay their fair share, just like working people do every day.