Monthly Social Security benefit checks are set to pass a historic milestone in June 2025, as the check amount for the average U.S. worker is expected to exceed $2,000 for the first time in the program’s history, dating back to its creation in 1935.
As first reported by Newsweek, the average retired-worker benefit hit $1,999.97 in April according to Social Security’s most recent statistical snapshot, and ongoing trends suggest the June statistical snapshot will reflect a breakthrough past the $2,000 threshold.
In April, the snapshot revealed that $128.7 billion was paid out across all Social Security beneficiaries. Retired workers accounted for more than 52.5 million of the over 69 million recipients.
Breaking this new threshold in average monthly payments marks a major symbolic moment for Social Security, which provides income to roughly 70 million Americans, including retired workers, the disabled, and survivors.
Benefit amounts vary based on age of retirement and earnings history. The maximum 2025 benefit ranges from $2,831 at age 62 to $5,108 at age 70.
According to the Social Security Administration, 71.6 million people received benefits from its programs in 2023. 5.8 million people were newly awarded Social Security benefits in 2023, and 55% of adult Social Security beneficiaries in 2023 were women.
The Newsweek article points out that the milestone reflects not only an increasing reliance on Social Security as a primary source of retirement income but also the cumulative effects of nominal wage growth and near-annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Despite the rise in dollar amounts, beneficiaries are seeing the value of these payments eroded by inflation and structural issues in how COLAs are calculated.
This is an issue senior advocates such as The Senior Citizens League has railed against for years, arguing that lagging COLA adjustments risk pushing millions of seniors into poverty.
“Our research puts numbers to what seniors have been telling us for years: Social Security benefits aren’t keeping up with inflation, inadequate COLAs are to blame, and seniors aren’t happy with Congress’s failure to act. The vast majority of Americans, 55.8 million seniors—93% —believe Social Security and Medicare reform should be a high or top priority for Congress and the Presidential administration,” said TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton, in the organization’s most recent COLA update.
An overwhelming 94% of TSCL’s 2025 Senior Survey respondents said they thought 2025’s COLA of 2.5% was too low and that their monthly Social Security checks would fall behind inflation. Just 5% thought the 2025 COLA was fair, while 1% thought it was too high.
“Our research shows that 73% of American seniors rely on Social Security for at least half their income, with 39% depending on the program for all of their income.”
TSCL’s Shannon Benton
TSCL’s 2025 Senior Survey shows that 39% of American seniors rely on Social Security for 100% of their income, while 57% get by on $2,000 per month or less of monthly take-home earnings. For many of these seniors, a COLA that doesn’t keep pace with inflation means a drop in their living standards.
“If our predictions come true and the 2026 COLA comes in at the lowest we’ve seen since 2021, seniors will face additional pressure at a time when they’re already strained financially,” Benton added. “Our research shows that 73% of American seniors rely on Social Security for at least half their income, with 39% depending on the program for all of their income.”
TSCL’s most recent forecast for the 2026 COLA is 2.4%, which would be the lowest since 2021’s 1.3% raise.
The Social Security Administration will release its June snapshot in the coming weeks, expected to confirm the average payout exceeding $2,000. The next 2026 COLA forecast update will happen on June 11, and the official 2026 COLA is due to be announced in mid-October.
Meanwhile, the wait continues for the 2025 Social Security Trustees Report, which was supposed to be released by April 1.
The report—whenever it is released—will provide an update as to whether or not the projected depletion date for the trust fund will move forward, back or stay the same, and what percentage of scheduled benefits will be payable upon insolvency were it to occur.
The 2024 Social Security Board of Trustees annual report on the financial status of the trust funds—released May 6 last year—revealed that absent Congressional action, Social Security’s trust fund is on track to deplete its reserves by 2033. While Social Security will be able to pay 100% of total scheduled benefits until that time, from 2033 on only 79% of scheduled benefits will be payable.
SEE ALSO:
• 2026 Social Security COLA Rises Modestly as Trump Signs Executive Order on Drug Prices
• Social Security Solvency Clock Ticking as Wait Drags On for 2025 Trustees Report
• Income Lab Launches Social Security Modeling Tool
Veteran financial services industry journalist Brian Anderson joined 401(k) Specialist as Managing Editor in January 2019. He has led editorial content for a variety of well-known properties including Insurance Forums, Life Insurance Selling, National Underwriter Life & Health, and Senior Market Advisor. He has always maintained a focus on providing readers with timely, useful information intended to help them build their business.