The answer is crystal clear. For years, Social Security has served as a key source of income for millions of retired Americans. In fact, these days, an estimated 61% of retirees rely on their benefits to provide at least half of their income. The problem, however, is that Social Security was never designed to cover seniors’ living costs in their entirety. So when we ask whether the average American can live off Social Security alone, the answer is an emphatic no.