Real People Affected by Social Security Policy

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/06/BUGB9BIC7L47.DTL&type=printable">How policy affects people
Those who depend on Social Security to survive view it as much more than a political debate topic>

For many workers in the prime of their careers, Social Security is just that annoying deduction subtracted from every paycheck. But for about a sixth of the population -- 47.7 million people who are retired, disabled, orphaned or widowed -- it is a monthly payment that makes a big difference in their income.

Although President Bush has said that his proposal to offer voluntary private savings accounts would not affect current recipients, to them, the debate about privatization is much more visceral than a dry policy analysis.

Here are profiles of four Bay Area residents who receive Social Security. They represent some of the significant groups the government plan covers: seniors who depend entirely on it, disabled people who are unable to work full time, and retirees for whom the monthly checks make the difference between poverty and a middle-class lifestyle.

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How policy affects people
Those who depend on Social Security to survive view it as much more than a political debate topic>