About 61 million people collect Social Security benefits each month, and they account for about one in five people in the United States. In about one family in four, someone is receiving Social Security benefits.
About 42 million retired workers receive benefits and another 3 million individuals receive benefits as spouses or children of retired workers. A total of 6 million people receive benefits as survivors of deceased workers, including 3.7 million aged widows and widowers and 1.9 million children. Another 8.8 million people receive benefits as disabled workers, and 1.8 million people receive benefits as the child or spouse of a disabled worker. A total of 3 million children under age 18 receive Social Security and another 1.1 million adults who have been disabled since childhood get benefits as dependents of a retired, disabled or deceased parent.
Total Beneficiaries: 61,480,790
| Beneficiaries | Number of Beneficiaries | Average Monthly Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Retired Workers and their Families | 44,951,551 | |
| Retired workers | 41,907,870 | $1,369 |
| Wives and husbands of retired workers |
2,368,020 |
$712 |
| Children of retired workers | 675,661 | $659 |
| Survivors of Deceased Workers | 6,011,856 | |
| Widows and widowers and parents aged 60 and older | 3,721,177 | $1,307 |
| Children of deceased workers |
1,901,323 |
$840 |
| Young widows and widowers |
130,052 |
$946 |
| Disabled widows and widowers |
259,304 |
$716 |
| Disabled Workers and their Families |
10,517,383 |
|
| Disabled workers |
8,755,405 |
$1,172 |
| Wives and husbands of disabled workers |
131,560 |
$325 |
| Children of disabled workers |
1,630,418 |
$357 |
Source link: http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/currentpay.cgi
In 2016, Social Security paid $911 billion in benefits to retired workers, disabled persons, and dependents of retired, disabled or deceased workers. Of the total benefit payments, 71 percent was paid to retirees and their families, 13 percent to survivors of deceased workers, and 16 percent to disabled workers and their families.
For more information, see:
- Social Security Benefits, Finances, and Policy Options: A Primer
- Social Security Across Generations: Benefit Cuts Will Fall on Today’s Children and Grandchildren, Social Security Fact Sheet No. 1
- Social Security: A Key Part of Policies to Strengthen Retirement Security
- The Effects of Reducing Eligibility Requirements for Social Security Retirement Benefits
- Crediting Care in Social Security: A Proposal for an Income Tested Care Credit
- Retirement Security for Family Elder Care Givers with Labor Force Employment
- Children’s Stake in Social Security, Social Security Brief No. 27
- Survivor Benefits for Families of Deceased Service members and Overseas Contract Workers, Social Security Brief No. 23