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Get the latest news, expert claiming advice, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Social Security benefits
Americans across age groups and party lines view the monthly payments as critical to retirement security
Las Vegas retiree tells AARP’s CEO how a lifetime of contributions, plus a benefit she didn’t know she had coming, safeguarded her financial security
Social Security and Medicare are crucial for millions. We must act now to safeguard these programs and ensure stability for retirees.
These historic federal initiatives, which have insured older Americans against poverty and medical bankruptcy, mark milestone birthdays this year — Social Security turns 90 and Medicare 60.
Since the 1930s, the Social Security Administration has been collecting data on U.S. births, building a treasure trove of information on cultural and generational shifts in what we call our kids.
Learn about tactics used in fraud and how to protect yourself
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Tools & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Find clear answers on how Social Security works and how your benefits are calculated. Get expert advice on maximizing your monthly check, filing a disability claim and pursuing your rights as a divorced spouse or survivor.
Your retirement benefit is based on your lifetime earnings in work in which you paid Social Security taxes. Higher income translates to a bigger benefit (up to a point — more on that below). The amount you are entitled to collect is modified by other factors, most crucially the age at which you claim benefits.
Yes. You don't have to hand in your notice when you start getting retirement benefits.
But continuing to draw income from work might reduce the amount of your benefit if you claim Social Security before you reach full retirement age (FRA), the age when you qualify to collect 100 percent of the benefit calculated from your earnings history.
If your total income is more than $25,000 for an individual or $32,000 for a married couple filing jointly, you must pay federal income taxes on your Social Security benefits. Below those thresholds, your benefits are not taxed. That applies to spousal benefits, survivor benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as well as to retirement benefits.
When a Social Security beneficiary dies, his or her surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits. About 3.8 million widows and widowers, including some who were divorced from late beneficiaries, were receiving survivor benefits as of August 2024.
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Social Security News
Join AARP’s Fight to Protect Social Security
Sign up to be an AARP activist and tell lawmakers to protect and save the program
How AARP Is Fighting For You
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AARP URGES FIXES IN SOCIAL SECURITY CUSTOMER SERVICE
Website crashes, lenghthy wait times are unacceptable
TELL CONGRESS IT NEEDS TO PROTECT YOUR EARNED BENEFITS
Tell your representative that Social Security must be saved
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