Benefits are paid only to persons, including their dependents, who have worked in covered employment and contributed to Social Security.

10.2 Why are Social Security dollars paid in by Americans being handed to aliens who have not paid in - including Medicare benefits - that are not available to Americans in the same situations?

Benefits are paid only to those, including their dependents, who have worked in covered employment and contributed to Social Security.

10.3 What efforts are being made to find non-citizens who collect Social Security?

Social Security benefits are available only to those who have worked in Social Security-covered employment and are based on their earnings record.

10.4 Non-citizens workers coming into the U.S. and the companies paying into the Social Security system for them, is it a buffer to the system?

Yes, to the extent they increase the size of the labor force in covered employment.

10.5 Is the number of immigrants a significant effect on the financing of Social Security, and if so is it taken into account when the projected deficit date is produced?

Yes, the number of immigrants has a significant impact on Social Security. The actuaries do include immigration rates in their projections. According to the 1998 Trustees Report prepared by the actuaries, the Social Security cost rate (the ratio of the cost of the program to the taxable payroll for the year) decreases with increasing rates of net immigration, due to the fact the immigrants are usually relatively young and thus increase the number of covered workers earlier than the number of beneficiaries.

10.6 Wouldn't you expect a shortage of labor especially in health care services and other retail services?

This question would more appropriately be raised with the Department of Labor.

10.7 Wouldn't it seem that at least a partial solution is to somehow, through a carefully designed approach, increase our labor pool through increased immigration of specifically skilled laborers?

A strategy of this kind could be considered by government policy makers.

10.8 What are the safeguards against aliens who only work long enough to become eligible for Social Security benefits, then leave the country and continue to collect the benefits for themselves and their dependents? Per the Comptroller General in reports to Congress, this accounts to billions of dollars ($1 billion in 1981!).

There are some restrictions on dependents benefits for those who do not live in the U.S. Those who contribute only long enough to qualify usually have very small benefit amounts. Also, many aliens do not contribute long enough to qualify for benefits, and they do not get a refund of their contributions.

10.9 How much of the Social Security benefits go to immigrants?

In order to receive Social Security benefits, a worker must have been employed by a Social Security covered employer and generally have contributed for at least 10 years to receive benefits. Actually, only a small proportion of the total benefits outgo to immigrants with short earnings records.

10.10 What is the impact of immigrant workers paying into the Social Security system?

On balance, immigrant workers improve the financing of the program. "le immigrants may eventually qualify for benefits (in a smaller amount because they are more likely to pay during fewer years of their working careers), nonetheless, most new immigrants are relatively young and will not receive benefits until many years into the future. In some cases, immigrants pay into the system and do not receive any benefits because they contribute for less than ten years and then leave the country.