Annual Statistical Supplement, 2012

Highlights and Trends

Social Security (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance)

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2011	157.7 million
Average earnings, 2011	$41,809
Earnings required in 2012 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,130
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,520
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2012
Under full retirement age for entire year	$14,640
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2012	$38,880
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2012	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2011	3.6 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2011
Retired workers	$1,229
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,185
Disabled workers	$1,111
Number of beneficiaries, December 2011
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	55.4 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	38.5 million
Retired workers	35.6 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.3 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	4.0 million
Disability Insurance
Total	10.6 million
Disabled workers	8.6 million
Benefit payments, 2011
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$725.1 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$596.2 billion
Disability Insurance	$128.9 billion
Administrative expenses, 2011
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.5 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.6 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.9 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.2 percent

Program Trends

About 55.4 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2011, an increase of 1,372,512 (2.5 percent) since December 2010. Sixty-nine percent were retired workers and their spouses and children, 11 percent were survivors of deceased workers, and 19 percent were disabled workers and their spouses and children.
Seventy-four percent of the 35.6 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (76.4 percent) than men (71.3 percent) received reduced benefits.
The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from about 34.5 million in 2006 to more than 38.2 million in 2011 (10.9 percent). The number of beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (14.5 percent), from fewer than 4.7 million in 2006 to more than 5.3 million in 2011. In 2011, about 53,000 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
About 21.5 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2011. About 9.7 million (45.1 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit. About 6.3 million (29.1 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit, and about 5.6 million (25.8 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
More than 3.2 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,224,280 children of deceased workers, 1,706,029 children of disabled workers, and 314,970 children of retired workers.
About 9.8 million persons received benefits based on disability—8,575,544 disabled workers, 977,026 disabled adult children, and 251,011 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 164,030 spouses and 1,768,493 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
Average monthly benefits for December 2011, including the 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment, were $1,229 for retired workers, $1,111 for disabled workers, and $1,185 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, monthly benefits averaged $1,381 for men and $1,072 for women. For disabled workers, average monthly benefits were $1,237 for men and $972 for women.
Average monthly family benefits for December 2011 were $2,220 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,907 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,533 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2011 were $725.1 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $596.2 billion—an increase of 3.2 percent from the $577.4 billion paid in 2010.
Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 3.8 percent from $124.2 billion in 2010 to $128.9 billion in 2011.
OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2011 totaled 5,567,020, including 2,577,647 to retired workers, 498,248 to their spouses and children, and 885,713 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 998,979 disabled workers and to 606,433 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2012
Individual living in his or her own household	$698
Couple with both members eligible	$1,048
Cost-of-living adjustment	3.6 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2011	$49.5 billion
Number of recipients, December 2011	8.1 million
Average benefit, December 2011	$501.64
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2011	$46.0 billion
Number of recipients, December 2011	7.9 million
Average benefit, December 2011	$481.31
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2011	$3.5 billion
Number of recipients, December 2011	2.4 million ^a
Average benefit, December 2011	$118.57

a. Includes 2.1 million persons receiving federal SSI and state supplementation and 0.2 million persons receiving state supplementation only.

Program Trends

In December 2011, 8,112,773 persons received federally administered SSI payments—200,507 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,058,641 (25.4 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,777,010 (58.9 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,277,122 (15.7 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 145,503 (3.1 percent) between December 2010 and December 2011, and the number under age 18 increased by 37,853 (3.1 percent).
During 2011, 1,031,023 persons were awarded federally administered payments, a decrease of 11,101 from the previous year. Of the 2011 awards, 719,080 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 201,066 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 110,877 to recipients aged 65 or older.
Total federally administered SSI payments were $49.5 billion in 2011, up 2.8 percent from 2010. Federal SSI payments in 2011 were $46.0 billion (an increase of 3.1 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $3.5 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2011
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$252.9 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$288.5 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2011 (one or both of Parts A and B)	48.8 million
Aged	40.5 million
Disabled	8.4 million
Administrative costs, 2011
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$3.8 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.5 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$4.0 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.4 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2010	$338.8 billion
Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2010	65.6 million
Average 2010 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$15,206
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$15,817
Dependent children under age 21	$2,027
Average 2010 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$31,686
Inpatient general hospital care	$7,230
Prescribed drugs	$922
Physicians services	$495

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2010	$58.5 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$299.33
Duration of benefits	18.9 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	4.5 million
Covered employment	125.8 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2010	$57.5 billion
Compensation payments	$29.5 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$28.1 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$30.5 billion
State and federal funds	$13.6 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$13.4 billion
Covered workers per month	124.5 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.23 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2009
California
State fund	$435
Private plans	$700
New York
Private plans	$194

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	$625
Maximum family benefit	$1,251
Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2011	21,944
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2011	$183.2 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2011
Disability and survivors benefits	$192.0 million
Medical benefits	$33.4 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2011
Service-connected disability	3,355,000
Nonservice-connected disability	314,000
Monthly payment in 2012 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$127
Total disability	$2,769
Nonservice-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$1,021
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$2,020

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2011
Individual, aged 65 or older	$10,788
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$13,609
Family of four	$23,021
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2011
All ages	15.0 percent
Children under age 18 living in families	21.4 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	8.7 percent