Social Security Access

Ida May Fuller , a legal secretary from Vermont, became the first person to receive a monthly retirement check on January 31, 1940. Her check was for $22.54 .

Long before FDR, Revolutionary War figure Thomas Paine proposed a system in 1795 that would pay every citizen a stipend at age 21 to start their lives and annual benefits at age 50 to guard against poverty. 🚨 What's New for 2026? SOCIAL SECURITY

You can earn more while working and collecting benefits. If you are under full retirement age, you can earn up to $24,480 in 2026 before benefits are withheld. Ida May Fuller , a legal secretary from

When the Act was signed in 1935, it originally excluded farmworkers, domestic workers, and government employees. 🚨 What's New for 2026

Higher earners will pay more; the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax is rising to $184,500 in 2026.