Living off Social Security alone, the financial website Motley Fool warns, “your income would be barely above the poverty level.” Georgetown University retirement policy expert Angela Antonelli agrees, telling CNBC the average Social Security benefit “doesn’t put you much above the poverty level.” That’s a widely held view, and seemingly buttresses progressive calls to expand Social Security across the board.

And yet, the data tell a very different story.

Recommended Stories

Congress must ensure national social insurance programs don’t stiff low-wage workers

Raising taxes on young people will only make our entitlement crisis worse

Over $60,000 in Welfare Spent Per Household in Poverty