Annual Statistical Supplement, 2008

Highlights and Trends

Social Security (OASDI)

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2007	162.5 million
Average earnings, 2007	$39,173
Earnings required in 2008 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,050
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,200
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2008
Under full retirement age for entire year	$13,560
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2008	$36,120
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2008	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2007	2.3 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2007
Retired workers	$1,079
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,040
Disabled workers	$1,004
Number of beneficiaries, December 2007
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	49.9 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	34.5 million
Retired workers	31.5 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.5 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	4.2 million
Disability Insurance
Total	8.9 million
Disabled workers	7.1 million
Benefit payments, 2007
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$585.0 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$485.9 billion
Disability Insurance	$99.1 billion
Administrative expenses, 2007
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.1 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.6 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.5 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.5 percent

Program Trends

About 49.9 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2007, an increase of 742,214 (1.5 percent) since December 2006. 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 31.5 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 33.2 million in 2002 to 35.1 million in 2007 (5.7 percent). Beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (15.5 percent) from 4,170,000 in 2002 to 4,817,000 in 2007. In 2007, 44,900 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
About 20.1 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2007. About 8.2 million (41 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit. About 5.9 million (29.6 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit, and about the same number (29.5 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
More than 3 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,302,665 children of deceased workers, 1,535,010 children of disabled workers, and 281,848 children of retired workers.
About 8.1 million persons received benefits based on disability—7,098,723 disabled workers, 794,677 disabled adult children, and 224,982 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 152,802 spouses and 1,587,343 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
Average monthly benefits for December 2007, including the 2.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment, were $1,079 for retired workers, $1,004 for disabled workers, and $1,040 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, monthly benefits averaged $1,218 for men and $935 for women. For disabled workers, average monthly benefits were $1,126 for men and $866 for women.
Average monthly family benefits for December 2007 were $2,021 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,716 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,184 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2007 were $585.0 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $485.9 billion—an increase of 5.5 percent from the $460.5 billion paid in 2006.
Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 7.3 percent from $92.4 billion in 2006 to $99.1 billion in 2007.
OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2007 totaled 4,710,830, including 2,035,781 to retired workers, 443,460 to their spouses and children, and 925,928 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 804,787 disabled workers and to 500,875 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2008
Individual living in his or her own household	$637
Couple with both members eligible	$956
Cost-of-living adjustment	2.3 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2007	$41.2 billion
Number of recipients, December 2007	7.4 million
Average benefit, December 2007	$468.37
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2007	$36.9 billion
Number of recipients, December 2007	7.1 million
Average benefit, December 2007	$437.06
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2007	$4.3 billion
Number of recipients, December 2007	2.3 million ^a
Average benefit, December 2007	$156.56

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 2007, 7,359,525 persons received federally administered SSI payments—123,942 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,016,588 (27.4 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,221,920 (57.4 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,121,017 (15.2 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 69,790 (1.7 percent) between December 2006 and December 2007, and the number under age 18 increased by 42,040 (3.9 percent).
During 2007, 836,642 persons were awarded federally administered payments, a decrease of 1,806 from the previous year. Of the 2007 awards, 563,094 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 169,375 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 104,173 to recipients aged 65 or older.
Total federally administered SSI payments were $41.2 billion in 2007, up 6.0 percent from 2006. Federal SSI payments in 2007 were $36.9 billion (an increase of 6.2 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $4.3 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2007
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$200.2 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$225.1 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2007 (one or both of Parts A and B)	44.3 million
Aged	37.0 million
Disabled	7.3 million
Administrative costs, 2007
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$2.9 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.5 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$3.4 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.5 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2006	$268.5 billion
Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2006	57.7 million
Average 2006 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$13,283
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$13,947
Dependent children under age 21	$1,668
Average 2006 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$26,519
Inpatient general hospital care	$5,818
Prescribed drugs	$1,034
Physicians services	$455

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2007	$32.2 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$287.70
Duration of benefits	15.2 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	2.6 million
Covered employment	133.6 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2006	$54.7 billion
Compensation payments	$28.2 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$26.5 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$27.5 billion
State and federal funds	$14.0 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$13.1 billion
Covered workers per month	130.3 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.58 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2005
California
State fund	$365
Private plans	$521
New York
Private plans	$188

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 2007	36,231
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2007	$282.4 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2007
Disability and survivors benefits	$254.7 million
Medical benefits	$38.8 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2007
Service-connected disability	3,167,000
Non-service-connected disability	323,000
Monthly payment in 2008 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$117
Total disability	$2,527
Non-service-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$932
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$1,801

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2007
Individual, aged 65 or older	$9,944
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$12,550
Family of four	$21,203
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2006
All ages	12.3 percent
Children under the age of 18 living in families	16.9 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	9.4 percent