Thursday marks the 90th anniversary of Social Security in America. In New Hampshire, more than 122,000 seniors use the federal program as their primary source of income.
But concerns about the program’s long-term solvency fuel concerns among many advocates about Social Security’s future.
Christina FitzPatrick, CEO of the New Hampshire chapter of the AARP, said without Social Security more than a third of people over the age of 65 in the state would live in poverty. With Social Security, the poverty rate for seniors is 7%.
Fitzpatrick said many of the people who rely on Social Security also receive disability benefits or are the survivors of workers who have passed away.
“This isn't a luxury,” FitzPatrick said. “It's rent. It's groceries. It’s medicine. It’s heat. Social Security is ver