On August 14, 1935, during the heart of The Great Depression, four-term U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law — with it bringing financial assistance to the elderly and those in need.
Considered a significant development in America’s social safety net, the legislation — despite its pros and cons — turns 90 years old this week, today anchoring and stimulating much of south western Kentucky’s economy.
In a report to the Pennyrile Area Development District Monday afternoon, AARP Kentucky’s Charlotte Whittaker called social security’s boon for the Commonwealth “huge.”
Whittaker turned to federal delegates in the room, and noted her and many others will continue to call for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act — which stalled in the House of Representatives at the end of 2024, despite full Senate support. This past June, Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined with members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging to introduce the Older Americans Reauthorization Act of 2025 — which, if passed would extend the landmark 1965 law through 2029 and increase funding authorization by 18% over four years.
The Older Americans Act supports a wide range of services for adults 60 and older, including home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, legal assistance, elder abuse prevention and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and key provisions in the bill include requiring a full-time National Director for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, a national study of state ombudsman programs, updated training standards for volunteers, and expanded caregiver support with improved access to trauma-informed and elder-abuse prevention services. It also calls for creating a best-practices clearinghouse to aid protective and legal services.
AARP Kentucky’s Carla Wallace said senior citizens of the Commonwealth have been “ramped up, and aggravated, really” about the possible changes to Social Security offices and telephone services — but have mostly had their voices and written words heard at the federal level.
Wallace confirmed that in the last year, more than 1-in-5 Kentuckians received Social Security payments, injecting at least $20 billion back into the state’s wealth.
Of those, 679,811 were retired workers, 169,747 were disabled workers, 97,835 were spousal survivors and 75,883 were children. More than 55% of those 65 and older said Social Security served as more than 50% of their family income, while more than 30% of those 65 and older said it served as more than 90% of their financial stability.
More than 330,000 Kentucky Social Security recipients 65 and older were lifted over the poverty line because of payments, while 12.6% remain in poverty despite the federal appropriation.
Wallace also wasn’t shy about one big ask.
In some recent reporting from Newsweek’s Aliss Higham, a new LendingTree survey shows 59% of nonretired Americans fear Social Security won’t be available when they retire, with concern highest among Generation X. The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays monthly benefits to 70 million people, but actuaries warn the retirement trust fund could be depleted by 2033, reducing payments to 77% of scheduled benefits.
Public confidence has been shaken by SSA job cuts, office closures and service delays, and a recent Gallup poll found the sharpest annual rise in Social Security concern in 15 years. Many oppose raising the retirement age or cutting benefits, and 52% support higher taxes to protect the program.
Democrats have reintroduced the Social Security and Medicare Fair Share Act, which would impose payroll taxes on earnings above $400,000, potentially closing most of the long-term funding gap. Republicans have proposed gradually raising the retirement age for future retirees.
According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security’s trust fund reserves are projected to run out in 2037, after which continuing taxes will cover only 76% of scheduled benefits. To ensure full payments for the next 75 years, Congress would need to enact changes such as cutting benefits by 13%, raising the payroll tax from 12.4% to 14.4%, or a combination of both.
By the Numbers
Of the 3,480 people drawing in Caldwell County (est. population: 12,551), 2,360 are retirees, 540 are disabled workers, 345 are spousal survivors and 235 are children — valued at $65.4 million annually.
Of the 12,780 people drawing in Christian County (72,032), 8,155 are retirees, 2,455 are disabled workers, 1,015 are spousal survivors and 1,165 are children — valued at $233 million annually.
Of the 11,650 people drawing in Hopkins County (44,929), 7,460 are retirees, 2,000 are disabled workers, 1,330 are spousal survivors and 860 are children — valued at $233.6 million.
Of the 2,595 people drawing in Lyon County (9,187), 1,910 are retirees, 385 are disabled workers, 180 are spousal survivors and 120 are children — valued at $53.9 million annually.
Of the 2,730 people drawing in Todd County (12,494), 1,810 are retirees, 480 are disabled workers, 250 are spousal survivors and 190 are children — valued at $49.9 million annually.
Of the 4,325 people drawing in Trigg County (14,369), 3,105 are retirees, 675 are disabled workers, 315 are spousal survivors and 230 are children — valued at $85.6 million annually.
