“As a working mother with limited income, we stretched every penny that came into the house to cover the immediate needs of keeping our family afloat. So there was no luxury of putting money aside for retirement. So in retirement, we rely completely on Social Security.”

As a single mother, Bette Reed of Seattle understands the need for Social Security. Bette, like millions of other women, has experienced the gender wage gap — often leaving women earning $0.50 to a man’s $1 during Bette’s working years. Bette struggled to raise her family on a limited income with little child support, unable to put anything away for retirement. Now that she is retired Social Security is her only source of income, but her diminished benefits reflect the gender wage inequality that persists even in today’s workforce.

Learn more about Social Security from Social Security Works Washington »