Take Away Social Security Payments. Some candidates may propose laws to increase payments or tax them differently, but these are all a part of a budget that must be passed by congress. Americans pay into the system, and when they retire, they get a monthly stipend, period. There’s lots of talk about “Social Security running out!” but when that’s projected to happen – in 2037 – it merely means that current payments will be reduced by around 10%, and there’s still lots of time for Congress to pass budgets that make up that difference.