When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Bill into law on August 14, 1935, he could hardly have predicted that it would end up being one of the most successful anti-poverty programs ever created within the U.S. Without Social Security benefits, 21.7 million more Americans would currently be below the poverty line according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. ​And Social Security does more than provide retirees with monthly payments. It provides ongoing income to surviving spouses and their children as well as disabled workers and their families through SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). Among elderly beneficiaries, 37% of men and 42% of women depend on Social Security for 50% or more of their income while 12% of elderly men and 15% [...]