The Social Safety Net

The recession has pushed Social Security back into the headlines. Demand for benefits is up, while the surplus is going down.

The 2009 report from Social Security's board of trustees predicted that spending from the trust fund may begin as soon as 2016.

Trust fund? Surplus? There are lots of complicated concepts here, but between this segment and the links we provide, the status of the trust fund should all become much clearer to you.

In this segment from the half-hour program, we see how Social Security jitters are affecting one family, and Sheilah talks about what some call the "intergenerational compact" with Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue.

Resources

• Check out the Social Security Administration’s home page here.
• Read the official 2009 OASDI Trustees Report for yourself.
• Take a look at AARP’s consumer resources on Social Security, including a Social Security Benefit Estimator.
• Need more detail? Take a look at all of the research on Social Security compiled by AARP’s Public Policy Institute.

The Host

Through most of her distinguished reporting career, Sheilah Kast has focused on the economy and workplace and how they affect people's lives. Well known to viewers of public television, ABC News, and CNN, she has covered the White House and Congress.

Kast also reported on the Washington aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Her stories included an investigation of anthrax in the mails and the struggles of bereaved Pentagon families to secure benefits.

At The Washington Star, in her first reporting job, Kast covered financial regulation, taxes, and energy. Her expertise in these important issues eventually led her to start a national public-television show, "This Week in Business," which she hosted in association with Business Week magazine.

Ms. Kast is a skilled interviewer. She has often hosted NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and has her own current-affairs interview show on public radio in Maryland.

Contact Us

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