MANCHESTER, N.H. - Social Security often is called the bedrock of financial security for Granite Staters, and today a summit in Manchester will focus on its benefits for women.

Todd Fahey, state director for AARP New Hampshire, says Social Security plays a key role in keeping older women out of poverty.

He adds widowed older women have the highest rates of reliance on Social Security.

"One quarter of women, ages 65 and older, rely on Social Security for nearly all of their family income," says Fahey. "In 2014, Social Security kept one-third of older women out of poverty, yet they are still more likely to be in poverty than older men."

Fahey says the summit, being held today at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, will focus on the various solutions being proposed from both parties to update Social Security.

He says if Social Security is not updated, future retires could lose anywhere from $4,000 to as much $10,000 annually by the year 2034.

Fahey says among those featured in Manchester will be experts from AARP, the Heritage Foundation and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

"What's going to happen at the summit is, we are going to have experts from both sides of the aisle talk about some of the common solutions and how we update Social Security," Fahey says. "Those solutions apply equally to men and to women."

Fahey says women are living longer but earn less than men. He says many spend less time in the workforce because they took time out for family, and that has resulted in a benefit gap, with older women coming out on the short end of the stick.

"There is a sizable gap," he says. "The average Social Security benefit for men is about 30 percent higher than for women. Men receive a benefit of roughly 18,000, and women receive a benefit of roughly $14,000 annually."

The Summit is part of AARP's Take a Stand Campaign.



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The Social Security Administration is standing down on implementing a plan which would have dramatically affected how recipients can access critical benefits and receive information they need.

AARP Iowa has been pushing back on the plan, reminding lawmakers in Congress that thousands of Iowans rely on Social Security and need to be able to access their benefits and receive timely customer service.

Michael Wagler, AARP Iowa state director, said his organization is working to make sure older Iowans continue to get the information they need. He said while it is good news the agency has stopped the proposed changes, doing so adds to the uncertainty around restructuring plans including staff reductions, office closures and other changes.

"There was already a crisis of customer service happening related to long hold times, and low staffing, delayed call back systems, confused announcements offices closing different things that are happening at a pace we just can't prepare for," Wagler explained.

The proposed changes were scheduled to take effect in less than a week but the agency announced all claims will still be allowed to be processed over the phone, at least for now.

The latest data show more than 687,000 Iowans receive a total of $1.2 billion a year in Social Security benefits.

Beyond the logistic challenges, Wagler pointed out uncertainty and confusion also create opportunities for criminals.

"We are also concerned that the change to phone services and other changes that are also happening on a daily basis will lead to scammers using the confusion that the agency has created around this rollout to exploit and prey on Iowans," Wagler noted. "While this announcement's aim was the idea that it was to combat fraud, we are also concerned that this will have the opposite effect."

AARP said its members have sent more than 1 million emails and calls to Congress in recent weeks to push back on the proposed changes and their negative effects on customer service for the 69 million older Americans who rely on Social Security.

In less than a week, many Wisconsinites will be unable to apply for Social Security benefits over the phone, which could lead to potential disruptions and challenges for millions as the nationwide change takes effect.

Starting April 14, seniors applying for retirement benefits or making direct deposit changes must do so online or in-person at a Social Security Administration office as part of a new identity verification process. The change comes in haste from the White House amid massive federal budget cuts which have already trimmed staff and resources at the agency.

Jim Flaherty, communications director for AARP Wisconsin, said calls to AARP's national call center have more than doubled in the last two months.

"They're concerned, and they're confused," Flaherty observed. "It is up to our President and our Congress to work in a bipartisan manner; this is not a partisan issue. They need to work together to make sure that this program remains strong and solvent for current and future generations."

People can qualify for Social Security benefits through retirement, disability or as a family member of someone who is eligible. More than 1.3 million Wisconsinites receive Social Security benefits. For now, those applying for disability, SSI and Medicare can continue to do so by phone.

There is also confusion about Social Security Administration office closures, which the agency said have been falsely reported but cuts to resources and services disproportionately affect rural and tribal communities. About one in five Wisconsinites would have to drive at least 46 miles from their home to the nearest Social Security office, while nearly half would have to drive at least 23 miles, according to the Urban Institute.

Flaherty emphasized for some, it is more than an inconvenience.

"For a lot of folks, Social Security makes up the majority of their retirement income," Flaherty pointed out. "Cuts to the program and services could be devastating for them. These are folks who are struggling to just to pay their rent or mortgage and put food on the table."

While the Trump Administration has said it will protect Social Security and changes are meant to address fraud and increase efficiency, Flaherty added people are understandably anxious about what could happen next.

"This is a very tough and serious situation that we want folks to be aware of," Flaherty stressed. "This is the time to call your members of Congress and say, 'Hey, you've got to do something before this April 14th deadline to extend this,' because it would be devastating for so many folks."

A bill in the Maryland General Assembly would regulate cryptocurrency kiosks, the more than 700 ATM-like machines for virtual currencies around the state.

The FBI received more than 4,400 complaints about the kiosks in 2023, according to a report on cryptocurrency scams. Nearly 60% of complaints came from people over the age of 60.

The legislation would establish registration and operating requirements for the kiosks in the state, enforced by the Commissioner for Financial Regulation.

Tammy Bresnahan, senior director of advocacy for AARP Maryland, said crypto kiosks have become a new way for scammers to target people.

"These kiosks have become a haven for scammers to call people to say, 'There's a problem with your account. You need to take money -- $4,500 in cash -- and deposit it into this nearby cryptocurrency kiosk because your account has been compromised,'" Bresnahan explained.

The total losses from cryptocurrency kiosks in 2023 exceeded $150 million.

The FBI advised no legitimate law enforcement or government agency would call or message demanding payment with a cryptocurrency. Bresnahan pointed out one of the issues with kiosks is they are not required to provide a user a receipt for their transaction, making them hard to track.

"Operators must clearly disclose transaction fees and exchange rates," Bresnahan urged. "And there has to be some kind of receipt. It doesn't have to be a printed receipt, but it has to be some kind of detailed receipt, whether it's on the system or whether it comes out printed. Because, right now, when you put money in there, you don't get anything."

Other states, like Minnesota and Vermont, have already passed legislation regulating virtual currency kiosks.