Increasing the Economic Security of Older Women
Publication information:
Jason Brown and Karen Dynan. 2017. “Increasing the Economic Security of Older Women”. In The 51%: Driving Growth through Women’s Economic Participation , edited by Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach and Ryan Nunn. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution
Abstract
Disability and widowhood are major drivers of economic insecurity for women later in life. To reduce the risk of economic insecurity among older women, we propose to allow Social Security beneficiaries to forgo some benefits when claiming to finance greater benefits in the event of widowhood, disability, or both. The proposed changes would be voluntary and self financing.