Innovation
Party
Independent agencyHigh

Social Security Administration(SSA)

Independent agency administering Social Security retirement, survivors, disability insurance, Supplemental Security Income, and Social Security numbers.

Function

Independent agency

Parent

Top-level (no parent)

FY2026 Budget Authority

$1271.46B

Official Data

USAspending.gov

Evidence & Review

Evidence Confidence

High

Verification Status

AI-researched, unverified

Last Reviewed

Jul 5, 2026

Retrieved On

Jul 5, 2026

OverviewData & PerformanceBudget & ResourcesReform ProposalsDocuments

Current Cost Footprint

High

USAspending's FY2026 Q3 top-tier record, code 028, reports budget authority of $1.27T, obligations of $1.21T, and outlays of $1.20T. The footprint is dominated by benefit payments; operating drivers include field offices, teleservice centers, disability determination, hearings, payment integrity, and legacy IT. Treat USAspending values as spending-system scale, not audited operating cost. Agency records can include benefits, trust funds, financing accounts, offsetting collections, and transfer flows.

Reported Cost Snapshots

From USAspending.gov top-tier agency records

Fiscal PeriodBudget AuthorityObligationsOutlaysSource
FY2026 Q3$1271.46B$1211.55B$1196.57BUSAspending top-tier API

Treat USAspending values as spending-system scale, not audited operating cost. Agency records can include benefits, trust funds, financing accounts, offsetting collections, and transfer flows.