Teachers have a complicated past with Social Security. We made a timeline that boils down the key dates in Social Security’s history that have impacted teachers.
Teachers, along with other public sector workers, weren’t originally included in the 1935 Social Security Act. In the 1950s, Congress gave states the opportunity to extend coverage. Most states decided to give their public sector workers coverage, but a select handful of states chose not to.
While Congress has mandated Social Security coverage for all public sector workers not covered by a retirement plan, this does not affect teachers. Teachers are technically covered by their state pension plan—even though over half will not actually qualify for any benefits, and those that do qualify, will actually lose out on their own contributions. These teachers remain overlooked by states and the federal government and are at risk of inadequate savings at retirement.
To learn more about teachers and Social Security coverage, read our new report and Powerpoint.
Taxonomy: