I vote for dishonest.
https://www.nrmlaonline.org/2024/11/08/two-thirds-of-seniors-rely-on-social-security-for-more-than-half-their-income#:~:text=Half%20Their%20Income-,Two%2DThirds%20of%20Seniors%20Rely%20on%20Social%20Security%20for%20More,Social%20Security%20for%20their%20income.
Two-Thirds of Seniors Rely on Social Security for More Than Half Their Income. A survey conducted by The Senior Citizens League, a non-profit that advocates for increased Social Security benefits, found that 27 percent of older Americans rely solely on Social Security for their income.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they depended on Social Security payments for between 51 to 99 percent of their income, while 11 percent said it accounted for 25 percent or less.
In TSCL’s survey, 62 percent reported worrying that their income won’t be enough to cover basic essentials, like rent and food. Even more, 69 percent, said they’re concerned that rising prices will force them to raise their spending and deplete their savings.
So 89% of seniors rely on SS for an important percentage of their income. But I guess they're all scammers, right?
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/cuts-to-the-social-security-administration-threaten-millions-of-americans-retirement-and-disability-benefits/
More than 11 million disabled Americans under the age of 65 rely on benefits administered by the SSA through either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both. Most SSDI recipients can’t work due to their disability, while others work limited hours and can only earn very limited amounts without forfeiting their benefits. For SSI claimants, even when they are able to work, they can only hold a few thousand dollars in gross assets without losing their benefits, subject to limited exceptions, making it essentially impossible to save. As a result, too many SSDI and SSI recipients are one missed or late payment away from not making rent or putting food on the table.
Though retirement benefits cover more people, the impacts of SSA understaffing fall disproportionately on those seeking disability benefits. Thus, as cuts to staff and potential field office closures reverberate through the system, people with disabilities and their families will pay the price in increased barriers to accessing the benefits they need. As past Center for American Progress research has highlighted, the arduous and extended application processes for SSI and SSDI place an incredibly heavy administrative burden on applicants—a weight that will only grow heavier as agency capacity is slashed.
Research has shown that when field offices close, the number of people receiving disability benefits nearby falls by 16 percent, cutting families off from lifesaving supports. Reduced staff levels also likely mean greater delays in accessing disability benefits at a time when far too many already have to wait far too long, with more than a million people currently waiting for an initial determination of their disability claim. Some areas are harder hit than others: For example, Georgia has an average wait time of 370 days for an initial determination, more than 50 percent longer than the national average. With five Social Security offices reported to close soon in the state, those waits will likely only increase. Agency staffers are already reporting increasing delays as the cuts and restrictions begin to take effect.
For people with disabilities and their families, lengthy periods with limited or no income while waiting for an answer on benefits have profound consequences, leading many to run up credit card debt, sell their homes, or even file for bankruptcy. Moreover, disability benefits are a key pathway to accessing health insurance: SSI recipients qualify for Medicaid immediately, while SSDI recipients qualify for Medicare after two years. Longer waits to receive income benefits can mean longer waits to access coverage and, therefore, care, particularly since applicants awaiting an answer on disability benefits often lack health insurance in the interim, putting their health at risk. Others never see a decision at all: 30,000 people died while waiting for a decision in fiscal year 2023. Reducing staff further will only make these dangerous delays longer and more harmful
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