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For nearly 91 years, Americans have upheld their end of that bargain.
The Jobs Changed, But the Story Stayed the Same
The survey responses span generations and occupations.
Respondents described working as dishwashers, waitresses, carhops, lifeguards, clerks, housekeepers, electricians' apprentices, busboys, candy stripers, surveyors' assistants, swimming teachers, bakery clerks, and veterinary assistants.
Many worked in agriculture, earning money picking strawberries, onions, potatoes, rye, and hay or helping with ranch operations.
Others worked in small-town businesses that were once fixtures of Montana life: Woolworth's, JC Penney, A&W, Tastee Freez, local cafés, lumber yards, pharmacies, and family-owned service stations.
While the jobs varied, one theme was nearly universal: people started working young and kept working for decades.
These are exactly the kinds of workers Social Security was designed to support after a lifetime of contribution.
A Promise Generations Have Paid For
Here in Montana, more than 258,600 people rely on Social Security.
For many retirees, Social Security helps pay for groceries, gas, utilities, housing, and prescription medications. For others, it provides critical income after the loss of a spouse or during a disability.
A new AARP survey confirms how important the program remains. The survey found that 95% of Republicans, 98% of Democrats, and 93% of Independents believe Social Security is vital to the financial security of Americans.
The survey also found that 67% of Americans believe Social Security is even more important today than it was five years ago.
That strong bipartisan support exists because Americans understand what Social Security really is: a benefit they earned through a lifetime of work.
The stories shared by Montanans in our survey make that point powerfully.
The former paper carriers, farm workers, restaurant employees, and retail clerks who responded did not receive something for nothing. They worked, they contributed, and they paid into the system year after year.
Congress Must Act
While Americans overwhelmingly support Social Security, many are worried about its future.
Every Paycheck Helped Build Social Security
Several respondents specifically remembered receiving their first paycheck with Social Security deductions.
One Billings resident recalled newspaper delivery and their "first Social Security deduction" at age 12.
An East Helena resident remembered applying for a Social Security card at age 15 to work as a ranch hand and stocker. "I've contributed ever since," they wrote.
A Kalispell resident shared perhaps the most striking story. After beginning work at age 16, the respondent spent 39 years as a childcare and private care provider, paying both the employer and employee share of Social Security taxes while self-employed.
"I have worked for 52 years thus far," the respondent wrote.
Those experiences highlight a reality that often gets lost in political rhetoric.
Social Security is earned through work. Workers contribute from their paychecks throughout their careers. Over time those contributions create the foundation of the retirement, disability, and survivor benefits that millions depend on.
For nearly 91 years, Americans have upheld their end of that bargain.
The Jobs Changed, But the Story Stayed the Same
The survey responses span generations and occupations.
Respondents described working as dishwashers, waitresses, carhops, lifeguards, clerks, housekeepers, electricians' apprentices, busboys, candy stripers, surveyors' assistants, swimming teachers, bakery clerks, and veterinary assistants.
Many worked in agriculture, earning money picking strawberries, onions, potatoes, rye, and hay or helping with ranch operations.
Others worked in small-town businesses that were once fixtures of Montana life: Woolworth's, JC Penney, A&W, Tastee Freez, local cafés, lumber yards, pharmacies, and family-owned service stations.
While the jobs varied, one theme was nearly universal: people started working young and kept working for decades.
These are exactly the kinds of workers Social Security was designed to support after a lifetime of contribution.
A Promise Generations Have Paid For
Here in Montana, more than 258,600 people rely on Social Security.
For many retirees, Social Security helps pay for groceries, gas, utilities, housing, and prescription medications. For others, it provides critical income after the loss of a spouse or during a disability.
A new AARP survey confirms how important the program remains. The survey found that 95% of Republicans, 98% of Democrats, and 93% of Independents believe Social Security is vital to the financial security of Americans.
The survey also found that 67% of Americans believe Social Security is even more important today than it was five years ago.
That strong bipartisan support exists because Americans understand what Social Security really is: a benefit they earned through a lifetime of work.
The stories shared by Montanans in our survey make that point powerfully.
The former paper carriers, farm workers, restaurant employees, and retail clerks who responded did not receive something for nothing. They worked, they contributed, and they paid into the system year after year.
Congress Must Act
While Americans overwhelmingly support Social Security, many are worried about its future.
AARP's national survey found that 78% of Americans are concerned that Social Security may not provide enough income to live on during retirement.
AARP is calling on leaders of both parties to work together to protect Social Security, close the program's long-term financing gap, and ensure Americans can continue to access the benefits they have earned.
Congress has the power—and the responsibility—to address these concerns -- through the regular legislative process, not through commissions, fast-track mechanisms, or procedures that restrict debate and amendments.
Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for millions of Americans, and any changes should be considered openly, transparently, and with full public accountability.
The issue should not be about politics. It should be about honoring a promise.
The Montanans who shared their stories have done their part. Many started working as children or teenagers. They paid into Social Security through recessions, economic shifts, family responsibilities, and decades of employment.
After a lifetime of contributions, they deserve confidence that the benefits they earned will be there for them—and for future generations.
Be a Social Security Voter
As voters head to the polls this fall, Social Security deserves their attention.
Regardless of political party, every candidate seeking office should be asked a simple question: What will you do to protect and strengthen Social Security?
The answers matter—not only for today's retirees, but for workers who are paying into the system right now and for future generations who will depend on it tomorrow.
The stories from our survey remind us why.
Behind every Social Security benefit is a lifetime of work. A teenager delivering newspapers before dawn. A farm hand working in the fields. A waitress serving customers after school. A cashier, mechanic, rancher, nurse's aide, or childcare provider building a career one paycheck at a time.
Social Security is not a handout.
It is earned through decades of hard work.
And after 91 years, it remains a promise worth protecting.
Also of interest:
- Sign the pledge to Fight for Social Security.
- Social Security Must Be Protected and Kept Strong
- What does Social Security mean to you? Share your story.
- Send a Message to Montana's Members of Congress: Protect our hard-earned Social Security
- Social Security Resource Center
- State-Specific Fact Sheets: The Importance of Social Security
- Social Security Solvency Options
- Social Security Calculator: When to apply for benefits
- On-Demand Video Learning Series: How much do you know about Social Security?
- Ask the Expert tool: Have questions on Social Security? Submit your questions here.
- 9 Ways to Strengthen Social Security
- Online Game: Can You Solve the Social Security Challenge?
- Join Our Fight to Protect Social Security – You Earned It
- 5 Common Social Security Myths
- 10 Things to Know About Social Security
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