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Retirement Benefits

1-minute read

Part of Series: Retirement Benefits

Two trees are pictured with a hammock in between the trees. The hammock is depcited as a Social Security card.

Matt Chase

Social Security is practically synonymous with retirement. Make no mistake, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does many things, from providing the de facto national form of ID to maintaining the definitive record of America’s most popular baby names. But when people say, “I’m on Social Security,” or “I can’t wait to start Social Security,” they’re almost certainly talking about the agency’s job one: paying retirement benefits.

In August 2026, nearly 55 million retired workers were collecting Social Security, accounting for 77 percent of beneficiaries. Nearly 184 million current workers are paying into the system, earning their future access to what will, for many, be their only guaranteed source of inflation-protected retirement income.

Whether you’re weeks, years or even decades from retiring, this series will tell you what you need to know about this critical retirement resource, from qualifying and applying for benefits to maximizing your monthly payment.