The average Social Security check for retirees has reached in excess of $2,000 for the first time.
Why It Matters
Social Security retirement benefits are paid to around 57 million Americans every month, helping shore up their finances for their post working years.
What To Know
According to data provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average retired worker benefit in May 2025 was $2,002.39, the first time it has breached the $2,000 mark. This is up from an average of $1,999.97 in April, after steadily rising each month throughout 2025 so far.
“The average Social Security benefit amount changes monthly,” a spokesperson for the SSA explained to Newsweek. “Social Security benefits are based on a worker’s highest 35 years of earnings. As wages tend to rise over time, each new group of retirees raises the average benefit amount, since their benefit calculations typically reflect higher earnings.”
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, which are made to blind and disabled Americans, in May averaged $718.30 for its 7.4 million recipients.
However, just because this is the average benefit across the board, it doesn’t mean you can’t receive more or less. Social Security retirement benefits are based on your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation.
In 2025, retiring at full retirement age—67—would provide a maximum monthly benefit of $4,018. Retiring at the earliest possible age of 62 would lower the maximum you can claim to $2,831, while delaying retirement until age 70 could increase it to $5,108.
Increased Benefits for 2026?
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), introduced in 1975, is a key feature of Social Security designed to ensure benefits keep pace with inflation and maintain their purchasing power over time.
The COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which reflects the spending habits of working Americans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects this data through a quarterly survey, tracking price changes across about 80,000 goods and services. These figures are then compiled into an index that shows percentage changes over time.
In recent years, high inflation following the COVID-19 pandemic has led to larger-than-usual increases in benefits. In 2024, the COLA increased payments by 3.2 percent, and in 2023, a historic rise of 8.7 percent was granted due to runaway inflation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
For 2026, recipients can likely expect a 2.5 percent COLA, according to new estimates from independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst Mary Johnson and The Senior Citizen’s League—matching the adjustment made for 2025 benefits.
The SSA will officially announce the 2026 COLA in October.
What People Are Saying
The Senior Citizens League executive director Shannon Benton said in a press release regarding the COLA prediction: “Seniors should be concerned as inflation continues to tick upward. TSCL’s research shows that there’s a serious disconnect between the inflation the government reports and the inflation that seniors experience every day. If the government tells us that prices are rising faster, it’s likely that seniors are already feeling the crunch.”
What Happens Next
As average benefit amounts tend to rise monthly, there will likely be another increase when data is released for June 2025.
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