You are not receiving free goodies. Since the inception of social security, the program has taken in more than it pays out. That is about to change. The problem is, all extra money over the last 44+ years has NOT been put aside. It has been spent on other things. The cookie jar is full of IOU's. The money you are collecting, while not free goodies, is not the money you put in over the last 44 years, It is the money being taken from todays workers. This was not supposed to be what social security was designed to be. The whole point is that all the money you put in over the years was not saved for YOU. It was spent. This would be criminal in the private sector, but its standard procedure for the government. Thank you for your service! You will continue to recieve your benefits, but inflation is about to take a huge bite out of what you will be able to buy with them as the money needed to pay the benefits will just get printed as there will shortly be more going out than coming in.