Smeeding offers some partial solutions. One is directed solely at divorced men and women. The same is true for men. Smeeding recommends instituting earnings or benefits sharing for the early marriage years as well. The Social Security system is complex.
Reform is no easy task, and the price of making a mistake can be enormous.
But policymakers should at least try to take into account changing family circumstances. Women are more dependent than men on their Social Security dollars in their golden years, and they are disproportionately at risk of living the twilight years in poverty. The disturbing disparity in economic security between elderly men and aging women is one of the most pressing public policy issues facing the Social Security system. It should be addressed now, while we still have time. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.