Is it true that congress does not pay into Social Security, but draw their salaries for life on retirement?

Question

I got this email:
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.For all practical purposes their plan works like this:When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000 with their wives drawing $275, 000 during the last years of their lives.This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.They pay$0 for this plan. OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. Meanwhile the average person SS is $1000 mo.

Answer 1

Urban legend. Read http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/pensions.asp

Answer 2

You should be. When social security was set up. it was supposed to be used by those who worked and paid into it as a savings account for your old age. However, when government controls any money they change the rules later on.and screw things up. Now the government has put the SS Trust into the general fund and put IOU's into the Trust. They have also changed the rules on who can collect that money. If you a born with a disability, or are a drug addict, or even an immigrant who comes here legally at the age of 65 and don't work, after 3 years you are eligible to collect SSI along with medicaid and food stamps. If you look at Federal workers, they don't have to pay into this fund, they have their own. Now to answer your question, you have to pay in to keep the system from going bankrupt, but with the way politicians keep changing the rules, it will go bankrupt and the younger generation will have nothing left when it becomes their turn. I would suggest to any young person to set up an IRA and put at least $10.00 a week in it until they can afford more. That way you should be safe in your retirement. Unless the government raises the retirement age and stops spending it on those who have not worked it will go broke.

Answer 3

Partly true, partly false.

They do pay social security, well have since 1984

They do actually contribute, if you can call 1.3% a contribution to a pension that could be up to 80% of their salary.

And they do get paid for life healthcare, and it is not your average American's PPO plan either.

It is the government UNION workers that are going to bankrupt us all. We need to change government pensions to a 1 for 1. You get 1 year pension (after retirement age which needs to be set the same as social security age) for each 1 year served.

Pensions and luxurious health care is bankrupting the American automakers. That is why they ran all their suppliers out of business. It will bankrupt the country eventually.

Coming soon to a job near you! Unemployment!

Answer 4

Yes, that's why they give themselves such hefty raises.