Women Receive $5,254 Less in Annual Social Security Than Men, Raising 2032 Cut Risks
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 23
Women Receive $5,254 Less in Annual Social Security Than Men, Raising 2032 Cut Risks
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 23
Summary
Women age 62 and older collect $5,254 less a year in Social Security than men on average—$1,760 a month versus $2,198—despite making up 55% of recipients.
The gap tracks lower lifetime earnings: women working full time earned 83% of men’s pay in 2024, while career breaks, part-time work and lower-paid occupations further reduce benefit calculations.
Older women already face greater financial strain, with their poverty rate rising to 16.2% in 2024 from 15.0%; among women 80 and older it reached 21.0%, and among single women 65-plus it was 21.4%.
State disparities vary widely: Washington, DC had the smallest monthly gap at $174, while Utah had the largest, with men receiving $649 more a month, or $7,785 more annually.
That imbalance could deepen if Social Security benefits are cut in 2032, a prospect advocates say would hit older women hardest because they rely more heavily on the program for basic needs.
With women facing longer lives and lower pay, can personal savings alone bridge the widening Social Security gap?
As unpaid caregiving widens the retirement gap, how can the system be redesigned to start valuing this essential work?
To fix Social Security's shortfall, is it better to cap benefits for top earners or make them pay more into the system?
Social Security’s 2032 Crisis: How Imminent Benefit Cuts Will Deepen the Gender Gap for Women Retirees
Overview
The report highlights an urgent Social Security crisis, with trust funds projected to run out by 2032. If Congress does not act, benefits will be paid only from incoming revenue, causing automatic and significant cuts—starting at 7% and deepening to nearly 28% in the following years. This looming shortfall is especially troubling for women, who rely more on Social Security but receive less due to lower lifetime earnings and career interruptions. Without timely reforms, millions of older women face increased financial insecurity, making immediate policy action critical to protect their retirement future.