| Basic Facts about Social Security |
 |
 |
- 48 million Americans receive Social Security benefits.
- 33 million of these Americans are retired, the rest are widows, widowers, orphans and people with disabilities.
- Social Security is the primary source of income for two of every three senior citizen and the only source of income for one of every five seniors.
- The average retiree benefit is about $955 per month ($11,460 per year). If the privatization plan were in effect today, the average monthly retirement benefit would be only $516 according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
- For women retirees, the average benefit is about $805 per month, or less than $9,700 annually.
- Nearly one of every two seniors (48 percent) would live in poverty without Social Security. In California, over one million seniors would live in poverty without Social Security, lifting the poverty rate for seniors above 65 from 40 percent to 8 percent.
- Beyond its retirement benefits, Social Security provides critical support for the disabled and for the surviving family members of workers who die.
- Only about 30 percent of workers would have access to long-term disability benefits absent Social Security.
|
|
|
|
| Annual
Survey on |
|
|
| Government
Priorities |
|
|