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 In a questionnaire on labor issues from April that has not been
made public, Clinton said she would defend Social Security from
Republican attacks and "enhance it to meet new realities."
Leaders with the AFL-CIO, an umbrella group for 56 member unions
representing more than 12.5 million workers, pressed Clinton and
other candidates at a meeting last month on issues such as trade and
wages.
The questionnaires were sent to the candidates before the meeting.
The AFL-CIO did not endorse a candidate for the November 2016
election.
"I'm especially focused on the fact that we need to improve how
Social Security works for women," she wrote in the questionnaire,
which was seen by Reuters and confirmed by three union sources.
"I also want to enhance benefits for our most vulnerable seniors,"
she wrote, adding she will have proposals on retirement security for
Americans "in the weeks and months ahead."
 Clinton said this month that she would consider raising the cap on
the amount of earnings taxable for Social Security, but has
otherwise said little about the program.
However, her main rival for the Democratic nomination, Vermont
Senator Bernie Sanders, has proposed expanding the program's
benefits.
In contrast, several Republican hopefuls have talked about cutting
benefits. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has also talked about
raising the retirement age for the program.
The Clinton campaign declined to comment.
Economists note that women face particular concerns with Social
Security, including lower wages during working years, often
resulting in lower benefits.
One possible solution, said Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor of
economics at The New School, would be to increase benefits.
"Raising the minimum benefit to the poverty level is not very
expensive," said Ghilarducci, who is also an external adviser to the
campaign.
She said she expects Clinton to roll out her policies on the issue
around October or November of this year.
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"Social Security was pivotal in reducing poverty among the aged,"
noted Heather Boushey, the executive director and chief economist of
the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, another external adviser
to the campaign.
Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State, has spoken out about the
gender "wage gap."
"It's way past time to end the outrage of so many women still
earning less than men on the job," she said in July.
Women also sometimes spend time out of the work force to care for
family members, years without a paycheck that can contribute to
lower Social Security benefits.
Ann O'Leary, a policy adviser on staff with Clinton, wrote a Center
for American Progress report in 2012 partly on "caregiving credits"
within Social Security to help mitigate penalties in the program for
years of unpaid family caregiving.
Eighty six percent of older Americans received Social Security
benefits in 2012, according to the Social Security Administration.
(Reporting by Luciana Lopez, additional reporting by Amanda Becker,
editing by G Crosse)
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