Other meanings of Social Security (United States)
US Federal Programs
Social Security is the United States federal program providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible workers and their families. Established by the Social Security Act of 1935 and administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), it is funded primarily through payroll taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The program is the largest single expenditure in the US federal budget, covering over 65 million beneficiaries as of 2024.1
Social Security comprises three main benefit types: retirement, disability (SSDI), and survivor benefits. Retirement benefits are based on a worker's average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) over their 35 highest-earning years, with a progressive benefit formula that replaces a higher percentage of earnings for lower-income workers. Full retirement age (FRA) is 67 for those born in 1960 or later, but workers can claim as early as 62 with a permanent reduction, or delay up to 70 for increased benefits. Disability benefits require a medical condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and a work history of recent covered employment. Survivor benefits support widows, widowers, and dependent children of deceased workers, with amounts based on the deceased's earnings record. The program also includes Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a means-tested benefit for aged, blind, or disabled individuals with limited income and assets, though SSI is funded from general revenues, not payroll taxes.2
Social Security is financed through a 12.4% payroll tax on wages up to an annual cap ($168,600 in 2024), split equally between employees and employers; self-employed individuals pay the full 12.4%. The revenues are credited to two trust funds: the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund. These funds hold US Treasury securities, which are claims on future federal revenues. The 1983 Amendments, which raised the retirement age and taxed benefits, were designed to build up trust fund reserves to handle the baby-boom generation's retirement. However, demographic shifts—lower birth rates, longer life expectancy, and a declining worker-to-beneficiary ratio—have led to projected shortfalls. The 2024 Trustees Report projects that combined trust funds will be depleted by 2033, after which payroll taxes alone would cover about 79% of scheduled benefits. The program's long-term actuarial deficit is about 3.4% of taxable payroll, requiring either benefit reductions, tax increases, or a combination to restore solvency.3
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935 as part of the New Deal, initially covering only workers in commerce and industry. The program expanded in 1939 to include dependents and survivors, and in 1956 to include disability insurance. The 1965 amendments created Medicare, which is administratively linked but financially separate. Over the decades, coverage expanded to include agricultural workers, domestic workers, and federal employees. Policy debates have centered on privatization proposals, such as those in the early 2000s, which would have allowed personal investment accounts; these were ultimately not enacted. The 1983 Greenspan Commission compromise, which included a gradual increase in the full retirement age and taxation of benefits, remains the last major reform. More recent proposals include raising the payroll tax cap, means-testing benefits, and adjusting the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) formula to a slower-growing
Beyond the familiar retirement and disability benefits, Social Security has several lesser-known features. The program provides benefits to children of retired, disabled, or deceased workers, including dependent grandchildren in certain cases. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduce benefits for workers who also receive pensions from non-covered employment, such as some state and local government jobs. The SSA also administers the Social Security Number (SSN), which has become a de facto national identification number, despite its original purpose being solely for tracking earnings. The program has a special minimum benefit for low-wage earners who worked at least 11 years, though it is rarely used due to its low value. Additionally, the SSA operates a "Ticket to Work" program that helps disability beneficiaries return to work without losing benefits. The first Social Security check was issued to Ida May Fuller in 1940 for $22.54, and the program's administrative costs are remarkably low, at about 0.6% of total expenditures.5
Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system; current workers' taxes fund current beneficiaries, with trust funds smoothing demographic transitions.
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