When President Obama released his FY2014 budget, he endorsed a plan to use an alternate measure of inflation – known as chained CPI – to shrink the cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security beneficiaries.

Social Security Programs

Social Security insurance covers more than just retirees; benefits are also paid to those with disabilities and family members of deceased workers. Combined, these groups received about $720 billion in benefits during fiscal year 2011.

The newly-updated Federal Priorities Database has state and county-level spending data for all three of these groups: 

• Social Security retirement benefits
• Social Security disability benefits
• Social Security survivors benefits

Nearly 90% of Americans oppose cuts to Social Security. How would reduced Social Security benefits affect your state and county?

More on Social Security and the Federal Priorities Database

Check out these resources for more information about Social Security or more information about using the Federal Priorities Database:

• NPP’s Competing Visions publication shows how Social Security fares under four different FY2014 budget proposals
• Social Security: Fact Sheet
• Federal Priorities Database: Getting Started
• Our series of in-depth database tutorials