Highlights and Trends

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

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2012	160.9 million
Average earnings, 2012	$42,870
Earnings required in 2013 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,160
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,640
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2013
Under full retirement age for entire year	$15,120
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2013	$40,080
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2013	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2012	1.7 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2012
Retired workers	$1,262
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,215
Disabled workers	$1,130
Number of beneficiaries, December 2012
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	56.8 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	39.6 million
Retired workers	36.7 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.3 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	3.9 million
Disability Insurance
Total	10.9 million
Disabled workers	8.8 million
Benefit payments, 2012
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$774.8 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$637.9 billion
Disability Insurance	$136.9 billion
Administrative expenses, 2012
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.4 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.5 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.9 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.1 percent

Program Trends

• About 56.8 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2012, an increase of 1,353,705 (2.4 percent) since December 2011. Seventy 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-three percent of the 36.7 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (76.0 percent) than men (70.9 percent) received reduced benefits.
• The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from about 35.1 million in 2007 to more than 39.5 million in 2012 (12.6 percent). The number of beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (13.0 percent), from about 4.8 million in 2007 to more than 5.4 million in 2012. In 2012, about 55,000 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
• About 22.2 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2012. About 10.3 million (46.5 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit. About 6.4 million (28.7 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit, and about 5.5 million (24.9 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
• More than 3.2 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,213,164 children of deceased workers, 1,723,728 children of disabled workers, and 321,534 children of retired workers.
• About 10.1 million persons received benefits based on disability—8,826,591 disabled workers, 1,006,676 disabled adult children, and 255,472 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 162,550 spouses and 1,787,647 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
• Average monthly benefits for December 2012, including the 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment, were $1,262 for retired workers, $1,130 for disabled workers, and $1,215 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, monthly benefits averaged $1,417 for men and $1,103 for women. For disabled workers, average monthly benefits were $1,256 for men and $993 for women.
• Average monthly family benefits for December 2012 were $2,260 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,945 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,603 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
• Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2012 were $774.8 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $637.9 billion—an increase of 7.0 percent from the $596.2 billion paid in 2011.
• Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 6.2 percent from $128.9 billion in 2011 to $136.9 billion in 2012.
• OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2012 totaled 5,654,668, including 2,735,007 to retired workers, 511,524 to their spouses and children, and 885,060 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 960,206 disabled workers and to 562,871 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2013
Individual living in his or her own household	$710
Couple with both members eligible	$1,066
Cost-of-living adjustment	1.7 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2012	$52.1 billion
Number of recipients, December 2012	8.3 million
Average benefit, December 2012	$519.43
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2012	$48.8 billion
Number of recipients, December 2012	8.0 million
Average benefit, December 2012	$500.29
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2012	$3.3 billion
Number of recipients, December 2012	a 2.2 million
Average benefit, December 2012	$121.79
a. Includes 2.0 million persons receiving federal SSI and state supplementation and 0.2 million persons receiving state supplementation only.

Program Trends

• In December 2012, 8,262,877 persons received federally administered SSI payments—150,104 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,081,532 (25.2 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,869,484 (58.9 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,311,861 (15.9 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
• The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 92,474 (1.9 percent) between December 2011 and December 2012, and the number under age 18 increased by 34,739 (2.7 percent).
• During 2012, 963,630 persons were awarded federally administered payments, a decrease of 67,393 from the previous year. Of the 2012 awards, 661,265 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 190,192 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 112,173 to recipients aged 65 or older.
• Total federally administered SSI payments were $52.1 billion in 2012, up 5.2 percent from 2011. Federal SSI payments in 2012 were $48.8 billion (an increase of 6.0 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $3.3 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2012
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$262.9 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$303.0 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2012 (one or both of Parts A and B)	50.8 million
Aged	42.2 million
Disabled	8.6 million
Administrative costs, 2012
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$3.9 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.5 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$4.4 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, 2011	$46.6 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$295.79
Duration of benefits	17.5 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	3.7 million
Covered employment	127.5 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2011	$60.2 billion
Compensation payments	$30.3 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$29.9 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$32.2 billion
State and federal funds	$13.6 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$14.4 billion
Covered workers per month	125.8 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.27 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2010
California
State fund	$449
Private plans	$893
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 monthly benefit to miner or widow	$625
Maximum monthly family benefit	$1,251
Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2012	19,490
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2012	$160.8 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2012
Disability and survivors benefits	$179.5 million
Medical benefits	$30.7 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2012
Service-connected disability	3,537,000
Nonservice-connected disability	315,000
Monthly payment in 2013 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$129
Total disability	$2,816
Nonservice-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$1,039
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$2,054

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2012
Individual, aged 65 or older	$11,011
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$13,892
Family of four	$23,492
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2012
All ages	15.0 percent
Children under age 18 living in families	21.2 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	9.1 percent