Now, new changes to Social Security eligibility rules will take effect. The modifications are good news because they can make it easier for a very vulnerable group of individuals to gain access to earned benefits they have worked for throughout their careers and that they may desperately need.

Confidence in Social Security has also waned in recent years. A survey conducted by the nonpartisan organization AARP, which advocates for older Americans, found that confidence in the future of the Social Security system had declined from 43 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2025.

President Trump has pushed to make the federal government more efficient, but changes to tax law could lead to deeper Social Security cuts in the future.