Social Security Act of 1935 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Security Act of 1935 - Essay Example The wages paid to the workers varied to a great margin, meaning that some of these workers were oppressed by the lack of a system to harmonize wages (Martin & Weaver, 2005). In particular, older workers suffered the most as they were subjected to very low wages, while their younger counterparts were receiving better payments. Apart from the glaring differences in wage payment, the workers were also faced with challenges such as probable loss of wages due to deaths, retirements, and disabilities (Martin & Weaver, 2005). All these factors combined, called for the establishment of a social system that would cushion the workers against loss of income. The strongest facilitator for the creation and enactment of the Act, however, was the great depression which occurred in 1929, a time during which a lot of families suffered economically, and in turn, socially (Martin & Weaver, 2005). The 1935 Social Security Act was enacted for the purpose of enabling the federal government, in collaboration with state governments to provide social welfare to needy groups. These groups included aged people, people with disabilities, expectant mothers and children, victims of industrial accidents, and the unemployed (Martin & Weaver, 2005). For these services to be actualized there was need for the creation of a social security board which would be tasked with making plans for the roll-out of these benefits, and managing funds involved in the process. Once established, the program provided monthly benefits to people aged 65 years and older who had were no longer engaged in regular employment (Martin & Weaver, 2005). The retirees were paid benefits according to the average wages they had been earning prior to retirement. Later on in 1939, Martin & Weaver (2005) write that the retirement program was extended to cover the retiree’s dependents, meaning the wife, who had to be at least 65 years old, and children. The program was not only concerned with the welfare of the aged