How Effective Is the Social Security Statement? Informing Younger Workers About Social Security

This article analyzes the impact of the Social Security Statement on younger workers' knowledge of Social Security programs and benefits, using data from surveys commissioned by the Social Security Administration (SSA). We found that younger workers generally were knowledgeable about Social Security before receiving a Statement and significantly more so afterward. Younger workers' knowledge was stronger in broader program-level aspects than in some narrower benefit-specific aspects. The gap in knowledge about benefits poses potential risks for their retirement security and indicates that SSA should emphasize certain types of information in continuing outreach efforts. We found no consistent knowledge gaps related to demographic characteristics that would indicate a need for targeted outreach to certain groups