What new name, if any, has been proposed or adopted for Social Security in 2025?

1. What people are claiming — and why it spread

A recurring internet claim asserts that Social Security payments were renamed “Federal Benefit Payments”; that rumor has circulated since at least 2012 and resurged in 2025 and 2026 social posts, often tied to broader alarm about the program’s finances ^[1]. Snopes traced the meme and found it persistent but unsupported by any SSA announcement or formal renaming ^[1].

2. What the official record shows

The Social Security Administration’s own website and press pages in 2025 continue to publish news, benefit descriptions and program language under the Social Security name; the SSA’s site lists benefits materials and press releases without indicating any formal name change ^{[2] [3]}. SSA webpages explain card and record procedures, name‑change processes and recent legislation adjustments under the Social Security banner—not a different program title ^{[4] [5]}.

3. Independent fact‑checking verdict

Fact‑checkers have explicitly evaluated the “Federal Benefit Payments” claim and concluded there is no formal renaming: Snopes reviewed SSA releases and found no announcement of a name change and that “benefits” has long been used in SSA materials but not as a replacement program title ^[1]. That report directly addresses the viral assertion and reports no evidence of an official rebranding in 2025 ^[1].

4. Why the rumor can seem plausible

The rumor leverages two real facts: SSA documents commonly use the word “benefits” to describe payments, and policy debates and legislative action in 2025—such as the Social Security Fairness Act and other congressional activity affecting benefits and administration—heightened public attention to labels and program changes ^{[1] [6] [7]}. Those accurate fragments get recombined online into the misleading claim that the entire program has been renamed ^[1].

5. Legislative and operational changes in 2025 — not a renaming

2025 saw substantive legislative and administrative activity affecting Social Security rules and benefits — for example, the Social Security Fairness Act produced adjustments beginning Feb. 25, 2025, and Congress debated bills about service and identity‑theft responses — but these are policy and service changes, not a rebranding of the program’s name ^{[6] [7]}. Reporting on solvency and fiscal pressure has also increased public focus on the system’s future without implying a new program label ^[8].

6. Practical impact for beneficiaries and employers

For individuals worried they must update paperwork because of a renamed program: SSA guidance on individual name changes and card replacements remains the operative instruction—use Form SS‑5 and the SSA’s established procedures to change the name on your Social Security record ^{[9] [5]}. Employers and tax filers continue to rely on SSA records and IRS matching procedures tied to Social Security numbers and names; nothing in the available sources indicates a new federal payment label that would change those administrative routines ^{[10] [4]}.

7. How to verify future claims

When you see a claim of a government program name change, check primary government sources first—SSA press releases and the SSA.gov homepage are the authoritative places to confirm any formal renaming ^{[2] [3]}. Independent fact‑checkers like Snopes can help contextualize viral posts and confirm whether the claim matches official announcements ^[1].

Limitations and caveats: available sources do not mention any official renaming event for Social Security in 2025 beyond the misinformation examined by Snopes; they do document several policy and benefits changes that can be confusing to the public ^{[1] [6]}. If you want me to scan additional outlets or a later SSA press release for any change after these items, say which sources to include.