In part one, I explain how Social Security works, who relies on it for survival, and how Trump and the team’s plan to end it in 2030 will hit families hard. Really hard.

But it’s worse than that.

It turns out the money funding Social Security is a lot like a piece in a giant Jenga game.

This year, 2024, the Social Security Administration is projected to pay approximately $1.5 trillion in benefits to retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors. To manage these payments and maintain operations, the SSA has an administrative budget of $14.227 billion for the same period. This means that the administrative expenses constitute less than 1% of the total benefit expenditures, highlighting the program’s efficiency in delivering services to beneficiaries.

Ten Ways Eliminating Social Security Will Crush Us

#1 Communities Will Lose Economic Stability: Seniors Shop Locally

Without Social Security, local economies would suffer as seniors, who often spend their benefits at neighborhood businesses, would have less money to contribute. This decline in spending could lead to business closures and job losses, further destabilizing communities.

#2 Veteran Homelessness Will Surge: Vets Rely on SSDI to Supplement Income

Many veterans depend on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and retirement benefits to stay housed. Eliminating Social Security would leave many veterans unable to afford rent, leading to a dramatic rise in homelessness among those who served.

#3 Elder Abuse Will Increase: Trusted Caregivers will be Replaced

Financial dependence on caregivers would rise sharply without Social Security, increasing the risk of elder abuse. Seniors may be forced to rely on potentially abusive family members or others to cover basic needs, putting them in more vulnerable situations.

#4 Rural Economies Will Collapse: Job Scarcity is Remediated with Benefits

Social Security is a crucial source of income in rural areas, where jobs are often scarce. The sudden loss of this income would drain cash flow from these communities, causing local businesses to suffer and rural economies to struggle.

#5 Disabled Individuals Will Lose Dignity and Independence: It Keeps People Healthy

Without SSDI, many disabled individuals would face severe financial insecurity, unable to afford basic healthcare, housing, and other essentials. This would strip away their dignity and autonomy, making living harder.

#6 Economic Gaps for Minorities and Women Will Widen: Pay Disparity is Vast

Social Security is critical in reducing financial disparities for women and minorities, who often have lower lifetime earnings and limited pension access. Eliminating it would deepen economic inequality and leave millions more vulnerable.

#7 Healthcare Access Will Shrink: Everything Will Be Even Harder to Get

Many people use Social Security to cover healthcare costs. Without it, the healthcare sector would see a decline in revenue, leading to cuts in services, longer wait times, and worse health outcomes, especially among older and disabled Americans.

#8 More Seniors Will Be Forced Into Nursing Homes: Because Families Will Need Help

Social Security enables many seniors to “age in place,” living in their homes longer. Losing this support would push more seniors into assisted living facilities, leading to a lower quality of life and increased healthcare costs.

#9 Money Management Will be Hard: With Less Income, Families Will Struggle

The predictability of Social Security benefits allows beneficiaries to plan and budget effectively. Many would struggle to manage their finances without this consistent income, leading to more debt and poorer financial outcomes that will likely impact families.

#10 Generational Wealth Gaps Will Grow: Burdened Family Members Can’t Save

Social Security helps younger generations build wealth by easing the financial burden of supporting aging parents. Without it, many families would have to divert savings for education, homeownership, or retirement to care for elderly relatives, widening generational wealth gaps.

Believe Donald Trump when he tells you he’s gonna cut Social Security

From Yahoo!finance, “Former President Donald Trump has been inconsistent with his messaging around Social Security and his ideas for the plan’s future. During a March interview with CNBC, Trump said that “cutting” could keep the Social Security program for retirement-age folks solvent.

“So first of all, there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting,” Trump told CNBC. “And in terms of, also, the theft and the bad management of entitlements — tremendous bad management of entitlements — there’s tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things you can do.”

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has some feedback.

President Trump’s proposals to eliminate taxation of Social Security benefits, end taxes on tips and overtime, impose tariffs, and expand deportations would all widen Social Security’s cash deficits. Under their central estimate, they find that President Trump’s agenda would:

• Increase Social Security’s ten-year cash shortfall by $2.3 trillion through FY 2035.
• Advance insolvency by three years, from FY 2034 to FY 2031 – hastening the next President’s insolvency timeline by one-third.
• Lead to a 33 % across-the-board benefit cut in 2035, up from the 23 percent Congressional Budget Office projects under current law.
• Increase Social Security’s annual shortfall by roughly 50 % in FY 2035, from 3.6% to 4 %of payroll.
• Require the equivalent of reducing current law benefits by about one-third or increasing revenue by about one-half to restore 75-year solvency.

Vote for your and your family’s future. Harris will protect Social Security. Vote Blue down-ballot to ensure she has Congress ready to support her policies.