Overview
- The Peterson Foundation poll, released Wednesday, found 91% of 2,500 registered voters back changes to prevent automatic benefit cuts and 85% say fixing Social Security is more urgent because of higher living costs.
- The Social Security Board of Trustees projects the retirement trust fund will be depleted in the last three months of 2032 and that law would force an immediate across‑the‑board cut of about 22% unless Congress acts.
- Voters showed clear policy preferences: 72% support a 1% payroll tax increase on earnings above $184,500, 66% back capping annual benefits so no retired couple gets more than $100,000, and 65% favor reducing benefits for the top 20% of earners.
- Only 29% of respondents support borrowing to cover the shortfall, and battleground voters in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas said they are more likely to back Senate candidates who lay out concrete plans to avoid the cuts.
- Analysts estimate the national average monthly loss would be roughly $500 and no state or recipient would be spared, which raises political pressure on this fall’s races and forces lawmakers to choose among revenue increases, benefit limits, or other contested reforms.