No, they're not. On an actuarial basis they are under-funded by tens of trillions of dollars. Even on a pay-as-you-go basis, they are currently running deficits.
Buffoonery is rampant in this thread.
Originally Posted by lustylad
Why yes it is....the SS Trust fund has not contributed one dime to our current debt. By law, it can not pay out more than it has taken in. Are they underfunded for their future cost? yes....I have not argued that fact. But to say they have contributed to the current debt is asinine.
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TRSUM/index.html
Social Security
The Social Security program provides workers and their families with retirement, disability, and survivors insurance benefits. Workers earn these benefits by paying into the system during their working years.
Over the program's 82-year history, it has collected roughly $19.9 trillion and paid out $17.1 trillion, leaving asset reserves of more than $2.8 trillion at the end of 2016 in its two trust funds.
Medicare
The Medicare program has two separate trust funds, the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust Fund. HI, otherwise known as Medicare Part A, helps pay for hospital, home health services following hospital stays, skilled nursing facility, and hospice care for the aged and disabled. SMI consists of Medicare Part B and Part D. Part B helps pay for physician, outpatient hospital, home health, and other services for the aged and disabled who have voluntarily enrolled. Part D provides subsidized access to drug insurance coverage on a voluntary basis for all beneficiaries, as well as premium and cost-sharing subsidies for low-income enrollees.
The Trustees project that the HI Trust Fund will be depleted in 2029, one year later than projected in last year's report. At that time dedicated revenues will be sufficient to pay 88 percent of HI costs