Speaker. after considering the findings of this study. and certain other case histories of social security recipients living abroad. it is hard not to conclude that the social security system. which was formed in 1935 to provide greater economic security for workers in the United States. has grown into an international pension system with beneficiaries living in nearly 150 countries. many of whom will never have any direct connection with our country. I would not belabor the point by citing every statistic in this study. but I would like to call your attention to a few salient points to put this issue in perspective. The issue is twopronged: First. alien retirees and their dependents living abroad. and second. legal and illegal aliens who unlawfully worked here in social security covered employment. As you know. the Social Security Act of 1935 did not restrict social security benefits on the basis of the wage earners citizenship and. as a result. aliens have been receiving social security benefits since payments began in 1940. In its study of overseas beneficiaries. the GAO makes the following observation: We found that beneficiaries living abroad. on the average. had worked fewer years in social security covered employment. paid less social security taxes. and had more dependents than the average social security beneficiary.
Keywords matched
illegal aliens