Glossary

Entitlement

A government benefit to which people are legally entitled if they meet eligibility rules, such as Social Security and Medicare.

Also called: entitlement programs, entitlements

An entitlement is a program in which anyone who meets the eligibility criteria set in law has a legal right to benefits, and the government must pay them regardless of the total cost. Examples include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance (SNAP) and veterans' disability compensation.

Because spending depends on how many people qualify and the benefit formulas, rather than on a yearly appropriation, entitlements make up most of mandatory spending. Changing them requires amending the underlying law. Some programs are financed by dedicated taxes and viewed as earned by participants, as in Social Security, while others are means-tested.

The word carries political weight. Supporters of the programs avoid the term and prefer "earned benefits" or "social insurance," while many conservatives and budget analysts use "entitlement reform" to refer to proposals to change eligibility, benefit formulas or financing to slow the growth of spending as the population ages. Opponents see such proposals as cuts to benefits people have planned on. Politically, the programs are among the most popular, and the "third rail" metaphor describes the risk of touching them. Related issues include means testing and the unfunded liabilities.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Mandatory spending Federal spending set by permanent law rather than annual appropriations, including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Social Security trust fund The accounts, holding special Treasury securities, that receive Social Security payroll taxes and pay benefits. Means testing Limiting government benefits to people whose income or assets fall below a certain level. Welfare state A system in which government provides or guarantees programs, such as pensions, health care and income support, to protect citizens' basic welfare. Unfunded liabilities Promised future benefits, such as Social Security and Medicare payments, that are not covered by dedicated funding projected to be available.