wfn.org | Changes in Social Security threaten women, say two church

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Dec. 9, 1998	Contact: Joretta Purdue((202)546-8722(Washington
{724}

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Proposals to privatize Social Security overlook the
possible adverse effects on women, say executives of two denominational
agencies.

Privitization especially threatens the livelihood of older and disabled
women, and this concern is a justice issue for United Methodists, noted
Jane Hull Harvey, a staff executive at the churchwide Board of Church
and Society, in a statement released before the White House conference
on Social Security, Dec. 8-9.

"In the United States, millions of aged and disabled persons, especially
women, depend on the U.S. Social Security system for the basic
necessities of life," she said.

Anna Rhee, executive secretary for public policy for the Women's
Division of the Board of Global Ministries, encouraged women to follow
the discussions and to let their congressional representatives and
administration officials know of their concerns.

 "Women stand to be greatly affected by any change in the Social
Security system (60 percent of recipients are women)," Rhee said. "So
far the public debate has spent little time on the importance for women
of a sound social security system. The White House conference is one way
to learn about the debate. However, no women's policy or advocacy
organization has been invited to speak."

Rhee said the topic ties in with one of the United Methodist Women's
study themes, "Humanity Comes of Age," which will be explored in the
1999 schools of mission and relates to the U.N. Year of  Older Persons.

Harvey pointed out that most of the proposals for change would replace a
portion of or all of the Social Security program with a new system of
personal retirement accounts. These plans would undermine the financial
security of older women, she said.

"Women over the age of 65 are already in poverty at twice the rate of
men over 65," Harvey stated. The current system, while not perfect,
recognizes the inequity that most women face since they are more likely
to spend fewer years in the workforce and earn less than men when they
do work, she observed. Women also tend to live longer than men in the
United States. 

She said that most of the privatization proposals before the U.S.
Congress make no provision for the differences between men and women.
"In fact, any system that relies even partially on privatizing the
social security system with personal savings accounts would perpetuate
these differences into retirement, leaving most women to bear an
inequality of sacrifice for their entire lives," she added.

The denomination's Social Principles urge policies and programs that
ensure respect and dignity for senior members of society, Harvey said.
The Board of Church and Society affirms the protections offered women in
the current system: lifetime benefits, dependents' benefits, progressive
benefits formula and adjustments for inflation. These are not included
in the privatization plans, she said.
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