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Workers should be eligible for full workers’ compensation or unemployment benefits regardless of age and other sources of income, such as pensions.
Older workers may choose to or need to continue working. However, they face discrimination based on age, especially in layoffs and hiring.
Policymakers should explore new, more consumer-centered systems for providing low-income assistance.
Taxation is the primary way governments fund essential programs and services. The following principles support this goal while also ensuring equity in how revenues are raised.
Income earned through employment is the foundation of most people’s savings and retirement income.
Congress and state legislatures should ensure that all lawfully present non-citizen residents who qualify for essential low-income benefits have access to them.
Asset limits for public-benefit programs should be increased to ensure that they do not discourage saving. These limits should then be indexed to keep up with inflation.
The federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit level should be increased to bring beneficiaries up to the poverty level. States should supplement those benefit payments.
Public and private employers should offer phased-retirement programs and retiree reemployment programs that encourage employees to stay in the workforce beyond the time they