Spending · category

Income security (the safety net)

Food aid, housing assistance, SSI, refundable tax credits, unemployment benefits, and federal retirement pensions. In FY2025 it came to $702B, 10.0% of all federal spending (#6 of 18 categories). Adjusted for inflation, that is up 56% since FY2000.

$702B

FY2025 outlays

10.0%

of all federal spending

+4.6%

change from FY2024 ($671B)

84%

mandatory (the rest is discretionary)

Where it goes

Income security (the safety net) by subcategory, FY2025. Click one for every program inside it.

Mandatory (set by standing law)Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)

SSI, refundable tax credits & family aidSSI, the refundable parts of the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, TANF, child care, and foster care (OMB's “other income security”).

$235B34% Federal employee retirement and disabilityPensions for retired federal civilian employees and military retirees.

$190B27% Food and nutrition assistanceSNAP (food stamps), school meals, and WIC.

$150B21% Housing assistanceRental assistance vouchers, project-based rental assistance, and public housing.

$78.0B11% Unemployment compensationUnemployment insurance benefits, paid by states from federal trust fund accounts.

$41.8B6% General retirement & disability insurance (excluding Social Security)Railroad retirement, pension insurance, and other retirement and disability programs.

$6.66B1%

The biggest programs

The largest individual accounts in income security (the safety net), FY2025, across all its subcategories.

Mandatory (set by standing law)Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)

Federal civilian retirement pensionsCivil Service Retirement and Disability Fund · Office of Personnel Management

$110B SNAP (food stamps)Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program · Food and Nutrition Service

$106B Military retirement pensionsMilitary Retirement Fund · Military Retirement

$80.5B Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Supplemental Security Income Program · Social Security Administration

$69.5B Earned Income Tax Credit (refundable part)Payment Where Earned Income Credit Exceeds Liability for Tax · Internal Revenue Service

$66.0B Unemployment insuranceUnemployment Trust Fund · Employment and Training Administration

$46.5B Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)Tenant Based Rental Assistance · Public and Indian Housing Programs

$38.3B Child nutrition (school meals)Child Nutrition Programs · Food and Nutrition Service

$33.4B Child Tax Credit (refundable part)Payment Where Child Tax Credit Exceeds Liability for Tax · Internal Revenue Service

$26.6B Pandemic-era refundable tax creditsU.S. Coronavirus Refundable Credits · Internal Revenue Service

$18.2B TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)Temporary Assistance for Needy Families · Administration for Children and Families

$17.7B Project-based rental assistance (Section 8)Project-based Rental Assistance · Housing Programs

$17.2B

Income security (the safety net) since 1993

Outlays in 2025 dollars (adjusted for inflation), fiscal years 1993–2025. Share of all federal spending: 14.9% in FY1993, 10.0% in FY2025.

Subcategories

Subcategory	FY2025	vs FY2024	Real, since 2000	Programs
SSI, refundable tax credits & family aid	$235B	+12%	+53%	17
Federal employee retirement and disability	$190B	+5.7%	+39%	17
Food and nutrition assistance	$150B	+0.3%	+160%	7
Housing assistance	$78.0B	+11%	+52%	32
Unemployment compensation	$41.8B	+9.1%	+2.5%	4
General retirement & disability insurance (excluding Social Security)	$6.66B	−70%	−27%	14

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