Social Security News: Polls

In an AARP survey released July 22, only 36% of Americans voiced confidence in the future of the retirement trust fund, down from 43% in 2020.
AAnother July survey, from the nonprofit Alliance for Lifetime Income, found that 58% of older Americans fear Social Security cuts because of recent news about potential changes to the program. …
In the new AARP survey, 25% of people ages 18-49 voiced confidence in the program’s future, compared with 48% of those 50 and older. …

May 2, 2025

A Poll

online polls

Mar 12, 2025

A Poll

online polls

Mar 3, 2025

A Poll

online polls

Feb 5, 2025

Americans Support Maintaining Social Security Even If It Means Increased Taxes And Oppose Cutting Benefits

From a report on opinion polling performed by Greenwald Research for the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI):

... This survey’s primary finding is that Americans overwhelmingly want to see Social Security’s financing gap closed by bringing in more revenues—and are willing to contribute more to strengthen the program’s finances. When asked which statement comes closest to their view, 85 percent of respondents selected either that we should ensure benefits are not reduced, or that we should increase benefits, even if it means raising taxes on some or all Americans. Only 15 percent of respondents selected the response that we shouldn’t raise taxes on any American even if it means benefits are reduced. This broad preference for raising revenues versus reducing benefits cuts across political, income, education, and generational lines; among Republicans, more than 3 in 4 prefer increasing revenues to benefit reductions, with more than 9 in 10 Democrats and more than 8 in 10 Independents sharing this preference.

Of all the policies tested, respondents most strongly preferred lifting the payroll tax cap. Respondents also strongly supported increasing the payroll tax rate from 6.2 percent to 7.2 percent for both employers and employees, to ensure solvency and maintain current benefits. Changes that would result in lower benefits, such as raising the retirement age or adopting cost-of-living adjustments, had little support. ...