TY - JOUR AU - Mitchell,Olivia S. TI - Social Security Reforms and Poverty Among Older Dual-Earner Couples JF - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series VL - No. 2382 PY - 1987 Y2 - September 1987 UR - http://www.nber.org/papers/w2382 L1 - http://www.nber.org/papers/w2382.pdf N1 - Author contact info: Olivia S. Mitchell University of Pennsylvania Wharton School 3620 Locust Walk, St 3000 SH-DH Philadelphia, PA 19104-6302 Tel: 215-898-0424 Fax: 215/898-0310 E-Mail: mitchelo@wharton.upenn.edu AB - Most retirement studies examine older married couples in which the husband is the sole earner. This paper extends the focus of analysis to examine older dual-earner couples. It further evaluates the impact of Social Security reforms on older working couples1 retirement ages and retirement incomes. Specifically, we examine two questions: (1) What are the likely effects of changes in Social Security rules on the retirement decisions of older working women and their husbands? and (2) How are these changes likely to alter the incidence of poverty among retired dual-earner couples? The evidence suggests that benefit reforms intended to bolster the Social Security Administration's financial position are also likely to worsen the economic status of an important minority of dual-earner couples. ER -