Recent policy proposals have introduced need-based criteria, as well as the principle of wealthier older persons paying greater taxes or sharing more heavily in financing services and benefits than those who have less income and accumulated wealth. This article reviews emergence of new approaches and concludes with commentary on political…

This report begins by recognizing that Australia's recent immigration, fertility, and mortality trends have resulted in a rapid increase not only in the numbers of older Australians but also in their proportion of the total population. After briefly reviewing the contemporary demographic aging of Australia's population and its likely course over…

A simulation of the effects of proposed changes in Social Security rules (elimination of the Retirement Earnings Test and an increase in the Delayed Retirement Credit) for men working after retirement age demonstrated a rise in long-run costs by $43 billion in taxes and an increase of only 3.5 percent in the supply of older workers. (Author/SK)

Many states are struggling to finance under-funded teacher pension systems as well as recruit and retain a high-quality teaching workforce. This paper compares Maryland's former (prior to Spring, 2006) teacher pension system to those in Pennsylvania and several other states. On the basis of simple replacement rates, the former Maryland state plan…

The retirement or earnings test provision of the Social Security Program is part of a debate over the future direction of the entire system. The current high rates of unemployment and inflation necessitating supplemental income for some older people may well influence the debate. (Author/AJ)

Designed to assess the validity of the determinations among applications for Social Security disability benefits, a comprehensive evaluation of each applicant was made including medical, psychological, social, and vocational data on each subject and his family. A followup study was conducted for 705 applicants from Ohio two to six years after the…

This document is a transcript of a Congressional hearing on the employment opportunities and problems of older Americans. During the hearing, representatives from various social service agencies, local government agencies, and senior citizen groups, along with some employers of older workers, testified about the problems that older persons have…

The problem of senior citizens in Florida who need to work are chronicled in this third part of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Work after 65 hearings, conducted in Orlando, Florida, in July, 1980. During the Florida hearing, representatives of various government programs for senior citizens, professors of education and economics and…

The population of the United States is aging and will age even more rapidly in the coming years. Yet our public and private retirement and benefits policies continue to favor early retirement--in spite of clear demographic trends, in spite of legislation raising the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70, in spite of the fact that many of our…

This document presents a transcript of a hearing on the problems of the black elderly poor. Statements read by nine advocates for the aged and agency representatives are included. Among the issues discussed are cutbacks of Federal income support and maintenance programs, housing, health care, and nutrition; and the fact that older blacks are three…

Social workers understand that assessing the implications of a policy for individual citizens like Veronica, a 51 year-old African American woman whose retirement will be jeopardized by President Bush's plan for social security, is often a good yardstick by which to measure the impact of a change. Moreover, social workers understand that policy…

The recent decline in the labor force participation rates of older Americans is well known and well documented. Dramatic changes in male participation rates occurred between 1968 and 1986. Declines were substantial as early as age 55 and as late as age 70. The trends for older women were much less dramatic. In 1988, nearly half of employed men and…

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the real internal rate of return to the old age insurance (OAI) portion of the old age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) program for worker-only beneficiaries retiring between 1967 and 1970. Section I reviews the analytical background for this study. The issues concern alternative measures of…

This study examined the perceptions of older Americans on the financial aspects of retirement and on policy matters which directly bear on their income maintenance positions. A descriptive survey was made of older persons participating in senior citizen multipurpose centers and clubs. The findings showed that 57% of the respondents perceived their…

This set of materials for high school students explains the Social Security system. It consists of five lessons and an overview lesson that may be taught separately. To support the lessons, a videotape, fact sheets, student handouts, and quizzes are included. Handouts are in large print and are suitable for use as black line masters for…