AARP Hearing Center
In May 2026, AARP surveyed adults age 50 and older to understand how they view Social Security’s financial outlook, whether they understand what would happen if the Social Security trust fund were depleted, and how they feel about potential solutions to the trust fund solvency challenge. The research shows widespread misunderstanding about how the program works, alongside strong concern about its future and clear resistance to benefit cuts.
Only 32% of older adults correctly understand that if the Social Security trust fund is depleted, retirement benefits would only be reduced, not eliminated. This misunderstanding is consistent across political parties and indicates broad confusion about a key aspect of Social Security.
At the same time, concern about Social Security’s future is high. A strong majority (68%) say Social Security’s ability to pay full benefits is a major problem, reflecting widespread recognition that the program faces financial challenges.
Despite this concern, there is clear opposition to one commonly discussed solution. Fully 81% reject cutting retirement benefits to address the program’s finances, showing that even those who see a problem do not support reductions in what people receive.
Methodology
Interviews were conducted between May 14 and 18, 2026, among 1,051 U.S. adults age 50-plus. Funded and operated by NORC at the University of Chicago, Foresight 50+ is a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population age 50 or older. Interviews were conducted online and via phone. All data are weighted by age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and AARP membership.
For more information, please contact Bryan Miller at bmmiller@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.
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