What To Know<\/p>\n
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<\/a> in April, after steadily rising each month throughout 2025 so far.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, which are made to blind and disabled Americans, in May averaged $718.30 for its 7.4 million recipients.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In 2025, retiring at full retirement age\u201467\u2014would 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Social](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750603997_572_social-security.jpg\")
\nStock image\/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
\nStock image\/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
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\nStock image\/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
\nStock image\/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
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\n Increased Benefits for 2026?<\/p>\n