Social Security replaces a percentage of your pre-retirement income based on their lifetime earnings. The portion of your pre-retirement wages that Social Security replaces is based on your highest 35 years of earnings and varies depending on how much you earn and when you choose to start benefits.
When you work, you pay taxes into Social Security. We use the tax money to pay benefits to:
- People who have already retired.
- People who are disabled.
- Survivors of workers who have died.
- Dependents of beneficiaries.
