April 3, 2018

Dependence on Social Security is Striking

A retiree’s sources of money are often described as a three-legged stool: Social Security, pension, and savings.

But many seniors’ financial support looks more like a single, sturdy pillar: Social Security.

This is shown dramatically in new U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates of just how critical the federal program is to millions of older Americans.  The data speak for themselves:

• One in two retired households counts on Social Security for at least 50 percent of their total income.
• One in four gets virtually all income – 90 percent – from the program.

The differences among myriad demographic groups also follow the usual socioeconomic patterns, according to the SSA researchers, Irena Dushi, Howard M. Iams, and Brad Trenkamp. …Learn More