Dec 4, 2024 · The COLA is applied to all Social Security payments — survivor benefits, family benefits and disability benefits, as well as retirement benefits — and to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a monthly benefit administered by the SSA for people with low incomes and limited assets who are 65 or older, blind or have a disability.

Dec 16, 2022 · The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for historical wage growth, in its benefit calculation. You can review your earnings history by creating an online My Social Security account .

Nov 16, 2018 · But suppose you started Social Security at 62, for reasons unrelated to health, taking a reduction in benefits for filing before full retirement age (which is 66 and 8 months for people born in 1958, two months later for those born in 1959, and 67 for those born in 1960 or later). Six months later, you are diagnosed with kidney disease.

Dec 5, 2023 · The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) gets the headlines, but multiple aspects of Social Security change annually to reflect national trends in prices and wages, affecting the benefits paid to tens of millions of Americans and the taxes paid by nearly all U.S. workers. Here are five important ways Social Security will be different in 2024.

Oct 10, 2018 · You can file for any type of Social Security benefit by phone at 800-772-1213 or in person at your local Social Security office (call ahead to book an appointment). For retirement benefits, spousal benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you can also apply online, in which case it helps to have a My Social Security account.

Jan 24, 2025 · In 2023, income taxes on benefits added $50.7 billion to the Social Security trust funds, accounting for about 3.8 percent of Social Security’s revenue — the vast majority of which comes from payroll taxes levied separately on most U.S. workers’ earnings.

Dec 26, 2024 · Under normal operations, Social Security offices are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time. Appointments are required in most circumstances to get in-person service. Call Social Security’s toll-free national help line (800-772-1213) or contact your local office directly to schedule a visit.

Oct 10, 2018 · Retirement benefits are just one type of Social Security benefit. There are also survivor benefits, spousal benefits and disability benefits, all of which have their own qualification criteria. To find out more about eligibility for those programs, you can use Social Security’s Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool.

Jan 10, 2025 · Social Security is enormous and complex, paying out more than $120 billion each month to 68.4 million retirees, people with disabilities and their family members. It's wildly popular: According to a May 2024 AARP study, 90 percent of U.S. adults ages 50 and older view Social Security as critical to retirement security. And it is key to older ...

Oct 25, 2023 · Social Security maintains a “retirement earnings test” for people who claim benefits before reaching full retirement age (FRA), currently between 66 and 67 depending on your year of birth. If your work income exceeds a certain threshold, the Social Security Administration (SSA) temporarily withholds a portion of your monthly payment.