Our country’s most effective retirement program is Social Security. It lifted more than 22 million people out of poverty, including over 16 million older adults and nearly 1 million children, according to a March 2025 fact sheet.

A recent national poll found that almost 90% of retirees rely on it at least in part to sustain their lives. Almost 75 million Americans are expected to receive Social Security benefits in 2026.

Over 56 million retirees received benefits in August, yet many people still harbor misconceptions about the program.

The Social Security program also goes through regular adjustments. Every year, usually in the second week of October, the SSA publishes a fact sheet describing the changes that will affect the program’s beneficiaries and the workers who will be contributing in the coming year.

These are the biggest changes to Social Security in 2026: