Social Security Rules Rarely Change

There is a lot to unpackage about social security so confusion on the rules is understandable.
Social Security Rules Rarely Change
The rules of social security haven't changed much since 1983. Evgenia Parajanian/Shutterstock
Tom Margenau
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I feel guilty when I repeat information in a column. But sometimes, a message I delivered in an old column just demands to be repeated. And I was reminded of that this week when I got more than a few emails from readers who all said basically the same thing. It usually goes like this: “It’s so hard to stay current with Social Security because the rules are changing constantly!”

I guess I can understand why someone who is not familiar with Social Security, but suddenly takes an interest because he or she is approaching retirement age, might think that. But in fact, with one exception, there have not been any major changes to Social Security since 1983. In other words, for about 40 years now, we’ve been operating with essentially the same Social Security rules.

Tom Margenau
Tom Margenau
Author
Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSA’s public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers, and recently published the book “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have a Social Security question, contact him at [email protected]
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