Voters Favor Delayed Social Security Options

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• There continues to be strong support among voters for allowing individuals to change their Social Security retirement ages in ways that strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund.
  • Seventy percent (70%) of voters think deferring social security benefits should be allowed in general, and nearly as many (67%) say people should be allowed to defer even further than the current 5-year allowance.
  • Support for the extension is highest among senior citizens, suggesting an interest in delaying their benefits. Support also maintains a majority in every measured age bracket.
• Asked another way, 65% favor allowing a 70-year-old man to defer his benefits for an additional 5 years in exchange for a slightly higher payout. Just 17% disagree.
• Just over half (52%) of voters support allowing a 40-year-old woman to retire earlier by paying higher Social Security taxes for the rest of her career. This is down from 59% in April 2025. Likewise, the number saying it should not be allowed is up 7 points to 28%.
  • Seniors are split on this option, with 36% supporting the option and 36% opposing it. The next age bracket, 55-64, fall just short of a majority but still prefer it by a 2-to-1 margin, with 27% undecided. At least 59% of voters in groups aged 18 to 54 support this option for an earlier retirement.
• All of these options receive majorities of support in both parties.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, June 1-2, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.