Current Events > Should social security be considered a universal program?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Obviously one of the big debates among those left of center is whether or not programs should be means-tested or universal.

Social security is often cited as an example of one of our most durable programs and is claimed to be universal by proponents of that approach, but while it isn't quite means tested it also isn't quite universal. You could live forever and not make any money at all off of social security, depending on your contributions. That's not how actually universal pension programs work.

Medicare obviously is much closer to a universal program, but the age limits act as de facto means tests, only instead of testing assets or income it's a test of your ability to reach retirement. And your cost-sharing is still definitely dependent on your ability to pay.

Idk, just kind of spitballing. Inspired by this article which I haven't finished because I made this topic when I got to the part about medicare and social security being universal programs lol

https://34justice.com/2020/01/08/on-both-politics-and-policy-for-all-beats-for-some/


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Another part of this discussion that I feel gets a lot less play than it should:

there is a big difference between a means-tested entitlement and means-testing on non-entitlement programs. SNAP is just as durable as either of the other two examples, imo, and that's partially because despite the income and asset tests, we essentially set it and forget it at the federal level (there are bigger fights at the state level over SNAP, and obviously the recent administration has tried to undermine them in other ways)

still thats one reason SNAP is a lot more popular than housing subsidies (last I checked) which are not entitlements

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Nothing huh

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If you gotta be 65 (or is it 67 now?) it's not really "universal".