A free workshop at a Pasadena library aims to help Americans navigate decisions about when and how to claim Social Security—choices that can mean the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
The educational session arrives as the retirement program undergoes significant shifts. A newly enacted law eliminated penalties that had reduced benefits for millions of teachers, firefighters and police officers. Meanwhile, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment, and Congress created a temporary tax break for seniors.
The workshop will cover when to claim, how benefits are calculated, spousal and survivor benefits, and common mistakes that can permanently reduce monthly payments. When a worker claims at 62 rather than waiting until 67, their monthly benefit shrinks by 30 percent forever. Yet roughly one in four beneficiaries claim at the earliest possible age.
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law Jan. 5, eliminated two provisions that had penalized public employees. The change affects over 3.1 million people and took effect retroactively to January 2024, with back payments beginning Feb. 25.
Congress also created a $6,000 senior tax deduction for individuals age 65 and older—or $12,000 for married couples filing jointly—available only through 2028. When combined with the standard deduction, a 65-year-old single filer receives $24,150 in deductions in 2026.
The average retired worker will see their monthly benefit increase to $2,071 in 2026 from $2,015 in 2025. The workshop is not sponsored by the Pasadena Public Library.
“How to Maximize Your Social Security Benefits (2026 Update)” will run on Wednesday, January 28 at 11 a.m. Lamanda Park Branch Library, 140 South Altadena Drive, Pasadena, California. For more information, call (626) 744-7266 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/library/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D195828771.
