The recent changes in Social Security benefits have sparked a lot of discussion, especially regarding who is eligible to receive these benefits. However, there is a common misconception that President Biden is handing out Social Security benefits to non-citizens like candy. Let’s clarify the facts.
Firstly, Social Security benefits are primarily designed for U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present non-citizens. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not provide benefits to undocumented non-citizens. The SSA requires a Social Security number to receive benefits, which is typically only available to U.S. citizens and certain eligible non-citizens.
One recent development is the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), which aims to increase benefits for certain groups of U.S. citizens, such as retired teachers, firefighters, police officers, and federal employees who were previously affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions were repealed to ensure that these workers receive fair benefits, considering they did not pay Social Security taxes on their pensions.
Regarding non-citizens, there is no evidence that President Biden is handing out Social Security benefits to them without proper eligibility. In fact, the SSA has strict criteria for non-citizens to qualify for benefits, and these typically involve being lawfully present in the U.S. and meeting specific financial and non-financial requirements.
There is, however, a proposal circulating within the SSA to stop payments to representative payees without Social Security numbers. This could affect thousands of beneficiaries, including children with disabilities whose parents do not have an SSN. This proposal is not about giving benefits to non-citizens but rather about ensuring that all payees have a valid SSN.
In summary, while there are changes in how Social Security benefits are administered, there is no indication that President Biden is handing out these benefits to non-citizens without proper eligibility. The focus remains on ensuring that eligible U.S. citizens and lawfully present non-citizens receive the benefits they are entitled to.
