I am the victim of "identity theft" and had to open a new checking account so that my SSD check could be deposited into an uncomprimised account.
Well yesterday was Columbus Day, so the S.S. Office was closed, so I got up early today (10/13/15) so I could be at the SS as soon as they opened up. I arrived at 7:45 AM and there was a loooong line of people. I asked the first guy in line (on crutches) how long he'd been there and he said that he'd been there since 6:05 AM. Unfortunately the office was scheduled to open at 9:00 AM.
My ire was raised by the fact that there were so many immigrants in line. I was lead to believe that to obtain SS benefits, one had to contribute to the system, by paying into the system through F.I.C.A. withdrawals through your paycheck. And I was lead to believe that the benefits were then dispersed after retirement or due to physical disability (SSD).
Most of the people in line were middle eastern and did not seem to understand the english language and were nowhere near my age (62). If those other people in line don't speak english,.....how did they work here? If SS benefits are taken out of your paycheck,.....how can you work when you cannot communicate with the public or even your coworkers?. And when did the SS administration lower the eligibility age?
And when did it become mandatory for SS Administration employees to speak Arabic? There were no signage in Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Polish, or any other "foreign" language. Most of the posters and digital signage were in English and Arabic.
I'm not anti-immigrant, nor am I anti-Arabic, but when has it become time to bow to an influx of one nationality? Both of my parents were immigrants to this country. Both of my parents worked, paid taxes, became citizens, learned english, and collected SS only after they retired. My parents became part of the fabric of this country, becoming members of the local parish, PTA, union locals, and registered voters. My parents both worked multiple jobs and lived within their paychecks. They did not buy more than they could afford and never used credit (they did have credit cards though) and even bought their cars in cash.
So why do we allow non-Americans collect the money we have paid into the S.S. system? I did a little online searching and found this website,....it is for the state of Mass., and the laws may be different in your state, but They can't be all that different when it comes to a Federal Administation.
http://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/finding-public-and-subsidized-housing/immigrants.pdf http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/workingpapers/wp60.pdf
