Story perspectives

US Entitlement Spending Shifts to Middle Class, Skews Seniors

6/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Entitlement spending now primarily supports middle-class households instead of poorest families.
The federal government spent about $4 trillion on entitlements in 2025, about $30,000 per household.
Only eight percent of Social Security payments reach the poorest 20 percent of seniors, while the richest quintile gets nine extra years of benefits.
French economists found the United States redistributes a larger share of income to low-income groups than any European nation after taxes and transfers.

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Story summary

Entitlement spending now primarily supports middle-class households instead of poorest families.
The federal government spent about $4 trillion on entitlements in 2025, about $30,000 per household.
Only eight percent of Social Security payments reach the poorest 20 percent of seniors, while the richest quintile gets nine extra years of benefits.
French economists found the United States redistributes a larger share of income to low-income groups than any European nation after taxes and transfers.