Annual Statistical Supplement, 2007

Highlights and Trends

Social Security (OASDI)

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2006	161.6 million
Average earnings, 2006	$37,346
Earnings required in 2007 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,000
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,000
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2007
Under full retirement age for entire year	$12,960
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2007	$34,440
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2007	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2006	3.3 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2006
Retired workers	$1,044
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,008
Disabled workers	$978
Number of beneficiaries, December 2006
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	49.1 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	33.9 million
Retired workers	30.9 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.6 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	4.3 million
Disability Insurance
Total	8.6 million
Disabled workers	6.8 million
Benefit payments, 2006
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$546.2 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$454.5 billion
Disability Insurance	$91.7 billion
Administrative expenses, 2006
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.0 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.7 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.3 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.5 percent

Program Trends

About 49.1 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2006, an increase of 676,7000 (1.4 percent) since December 2005. Sixty-nine percent were retired workers and their spouses and children, 13 percent were survivors of deceased workers, and 18 percent were disabled workers and their spouses and children.
Seventy-three percent of the 30.9 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (76 percent) than men (71 percent) received reduced benefits.
The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from 32.9 million in 2001 to 34.5 million in 2006 (4.7 percent). Beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (14 percent) from 4,095,000 in 2001 to 4,668,000 in 2006. In 2006, 43,100 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
About 19.8 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2006. About 7.9 million (40 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit, and 5.9 million (29.6 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit. About 6 million (30.3 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
More than 3 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,320,900 children of deceased workers, 1,530,300 children of disabled workers, and 282,300 children of retired workers.
About 7.8 million persons received benefits based on disability—6,807,000 disabled workers, 777,000 disabled adult children, and 220,000 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 153,500 spouses and 1,579,900 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
Average monthly benefits for December 2006, including the 3.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment, were $1,044 for retired workers, $978 for disabled workers, and $1,008 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, benefits averaged $1,178 for men and $905 for women. For disabled workers, average benefits were $1,097 for men and $840 for women.
Average monthly family benefits for December 2006 were $1,955 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,668 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,104 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2006 were $546.2 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $454.5 billion—an increase of 4.4 percent from the $435 billion paid in 2005.
Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 7.5 percent from $85.4 billion in 2005 to $91.7 billion in 2006.
OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2006 totaled 4,621,100, including 1,999,000 to retired workers, 455,300 to their spouses and children and 869,600 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 798,700 disabled workers and to 498,500 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2007
Individual living in his or her own household	$623
Couple with both members eligible	$934
Cost-of-living adjustment	3.3 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2006	$38.9 billion
Number of recipients, December 2006	7.2 million
Average benefit, December 2006	$454.75
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2006	$34.7 billion
Number of recipients, December 2006	6.9 million
Average benefit, December 2006	$423.05
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2006	$4.2 billion
Number of recipients, December 2006	2.3 million ^a
Average benefit, December 2006	$156.24

a. Includes 2.0 million persons receiving federal SSI and state supplementation and 0.3 million persons receiving state supplementation only.

Program Trends

In December 2006, 7,235,583 persons received federally administered SSI payments—121,704 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,004,476 (27.7 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,152,130 (57.4 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,078,977 (14.9 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 69,260 (1.7 percent) between December 2005 and December 2006, and the number under age 18 increased by 42,479 (4.1 percent).
During 2006, 838,448 persons were awarded federally administered payments, a decrease of 13,800 from the previous year. Of the 2006 awards, 556,140 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 170,453 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 111,855 to recipients aged 65 or older.
Total federally administered SSI payments were $38.9 billion in 2006, up 4.4 percent from 2005. Federal SSI payments in 2006 were $34.7 billion (an increase of 5.1 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $4.2 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2006
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$189.0 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$213.0 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2006 (one or both of Parts A and B)	43.3 million
Aged	36.3 million
Disabled	7.0 million
Administrative costs, 2006
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$2.9 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.6 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$3.4 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.6 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2004	$257.7 billion
Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2004	55.0 million
Average 2004 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$13,790
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$14,070
Dependent children under age 21	$1,530
Average 2004 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$24,585
Inpatient general hospital care	$6,435
Prescribed drugs	$1,433
Physicians services	$426

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2006	$34.0 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$277.20
Duration of benefits	15.2 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	2.5 million
Covered employment	132.2 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2005	$55.3 billion
Compensation payments	$29.1 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$26.2 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$28.1 billion
State and federal funds	$14.0 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$13.1 billion
Covered workers per month	128.1 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.70 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2004
California
State fund	$338
Private plans	$489
New York
Private plans	$185

NOTE: Programs in effect in California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, and the railroad industry.

Black Lung Benefits

Basic benefit to miner or widow	$584.00
Maximum family benefit	$1,168.00
Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2006	40,018
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2006	$312.5 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2006
Disability and survivors benefits	$304.4 million
Medical benefits	$40 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2006
Service-connected disability	2,726,000
Non-service-connected disability	330,000
Monthly payment in 2007 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$115
Total disability	$2,471
Non-service-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$911
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$1,801

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2006
Individual, aged 65 or older	$9,669
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$12,201
Family of four	$20,614
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2005
All ages	12.6 percent
Children under the age of 18 living in families	17.1 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	10.1 percent