Rep. Figures warns Social Security in jeopardy for Alabama seniors.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Congressman Shomari Figures (D-AL) delivered a warning at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce briefing on Wednesday, highlighting how looming federal issues, specifically the solvency of Social Security, threaten to disproportionately impact Alabamians.

“We know that seniors here in the State of Alabama, for a lot of them, for many of them, they weren’t fortunate enough to have big 401(k)s, big IRAs,” Figures said. “Their retirement plan looks like this: own my own home, have children that can help take care of us, and Social Security.”

Figures pointed to updated projections showing the Social Security Trust Fund is on track to run out of money ahead of schedule, with the exhaustion date now expected in 2032.

“What that means in the State of Alabama is that the average Social Security benefit at that time that our seniors receive will be reduced by about 20% to 30%,” Figures warned. “That is real. That is a real problem.”

Figures said that more than 50% of seniors in Alabama rely on Social Security as their primary source of income.

In June 2026, approximately 75,000 Alabamians were receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

The financial strain is compounded by low average incomes across the state. While the individual median income in Alabama sits at approximately $34,000, Figures noted that “for seniors in the State of Alabama, that number is even lower.”

The threat to retirement benefits is not the only federal issue impacting Alabamians. Figures noted that legislation passed in Washington, D.C., including the Big Beautiful Bill Act, could signal significant financial shifts for the elderly.

Figures said that other sectors of Alabama’s economy and community are also feeling the squeeze of federal policy decisions, including agricultural tariffs and changes to food assistance programs that have caused some parents to lose SNAP benefits.