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This episode of Swindled may contain graphic descriptions or audio recordings of disturbing events which may not be suitable for all audiences.

Listener discretion is advised. This is the story of your social security,

a story in the American tradition of self-support and self-respect.

Here's a quick

Here's a quick American history lesson.

On August 14th, 1935, President Franklin D Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act as part of the new deal.

This new law created, among other things, a pay-as-you-go social insurance program that provided a continuing

income for retired workers aged 65 and older. A payroll tax would provide the funding

to ensure that the country's most vulnerable citizens would not die in abject poverty. Truly a radical idea by today's standards.

And believe it or not, in 1956, the Social Security Program became even more compassionate

when it was amended to provide potentially lifetime monthly cash benefits to disabled children

and disabled workers between the ages of 50 to 64.

In 1960, the program was expanded even further to include disabled workers of any age and their dependence.

This is called Social Security Disability Insurance and

surprisingly it still exists. But unsurprisingly the annual cost of

operating the program has grown exponentially to about 200 billion dollars a year.

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