Those who are unable to work in retirement may be eligible for other government benefits, depending on their income. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is for the blind and disabled as well as low-income seniors. It provides a monthly check worth up to $967 per month for a qualifying individual or $1,450 per month for a qualifying couple.

The maximum monthly SSI benefit for 2025 is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple, compared to $943 and $1,415, respectively, in 2024. The increase resulted from a 3.2% Cost of Living Adjustment that started at the first of the year.

Learn how the Social Security Fairness Act may increase your retirement benefits by eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.

Nearly 72.88 million Americans rely on Social Security for monthly income. The vast majority, about 65.5 million, collect Social Security benefits. Another 4.88 million receive Supplemental

Related: Suze Orman warns Social Security recipients of a looming threat. Substantial contributions to employer-matching 401(k)s and investments in tax-advantaged IRAs are also ef

Unclear if sweeping executive order will affect Medicaid and other federal assistance programs for older Americans.

The year you were born, how much you've worked, and the year you claim your benefits determine how much you receive, but very few will qualify for the maximum benefit.

Social Security benefits may be reduced in the next decade due to a financing shortfall. A new survey asks Americans how they would fix the program.

The non-partisan advocacy group The Senior Citizens League predicts the 2026 COLA will be 2.1%, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-W, the index used to calculate the annual increase. December’s CPI-W came in at 2.8%. Getty Images

The program's combined trust funds, however, are set to run dry in 2035, according to the most recent Social Security Trustees report. And while that date is by no means set in stone, if it is correct, it means the program may have to implement sweeping benefit cuts a decade from now.

By now, all seniors on Social Security should have gotten their first checks for 2025. With the latest 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in effect, the average benefit has climbed to $1,976 per month.