welfare News & Analysis
2 articles
Market Mood
Social Security Benefits Show $4,800 Gap for Women Annually
Research from AARP indicates women receive about $4,800 less annually in Social Security benefits compared to men. Women's median weekly earnings in Q1 2026 were $1,098, which is 80.6% of the $1,362 median for men, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Factors contributing to this disparity include caregiving responsibilities and longer life expectancies, with women living around five years longer than men. As of May, over 63 million Americans received Social Security retirement benefits, with approximately 28 million being women.
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Government Spends 25x on Benefits for Youth vs. Jobs Support
Former minister Alan Milburn stated that the government allocates 25 times more funding to benefits for young people than to employment support. With nearly 957,000 young individuals classified as NEET (not in education, employment, or training), making up 12.8% of the age group, Milburn called for a complete system reset. His findings point to significant failures in the welfare, education, and health systems. The first part of Milburn's report will detail this financial disparity, which highlights critical areas needing reform by the Labour party in the UK.
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