Highlights and Trends

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

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2013	163.2 million
Average earnings, 2013	$43,786
Earnings required in 2014 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,200
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,800
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2014
Under full retirement age for entire year	$15,480
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2014	$41,400
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2014	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2013	1.5 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2013
Retired workers	$1,294
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,244
Disabled workers	$1,146
Number of beneficiaries, December 2013
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	58.0 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	40.8 million
Retired workers	37.9 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.2 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	3.9 million
Disability Insurance
Total	11.0 million
Disabled workers	8.9 million
Benefit payments, 2013
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$812.3 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$672.1 billion
Disability Insurance	$140.1 billion
Administrative expenses, 2013
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.4 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.5 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.8 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.0 percent

Program Trends

• About 58.0 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2013, an increase of 1,220,425 (2.2 percent) since December 2012. 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 37.9 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (75.4 percent) than men (70.3 percent) received reduced benefits.
• The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from about 35.7 million in 2008 to almost 40.8 million in 2013 (14.1 percent). The number of beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a lesser rate during the 5-year period (11.7 percent), from about 4.9 million in 2008 to more than 5.5 million in 2013. In 2013, about 57,000 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
• About 22.8 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2013. About 10.9 million (47.8 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit. About 6.4 million (28.2 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit, and about 5.5 million (23.9 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
• More than 3.2 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,200,282 children of deceased workers, 1,710,618 children of disabled workers, and 325,846 children of retired workers.
• About 10.2 million persons received benefits based on disability—8,940,950 disabled workers, 1,030,166 disabled adult children, and 257,248 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 156,672 spouses and 1,771,155 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
• Average monthly benefits for December 2013, including the 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, were $1,294 for retired workers, $1,146 for disabled workers, and $1,244 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, monthly benefits averaged $1,451 for men and $1,134 for women. For disabled workers, average monthly benefits were $1,271 for men and $1,011 for women.
• Average monthly family benefits for December 2013 were $2,298 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,973 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,672 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
• Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2013 were $812.3 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $672.1 billion—an increase of 5.4 percent from the $637.9 billion paid in 2012.
• Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 2.4 percent from $136.9 billion in 2012 to $140.1 billion in 2013.
• OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2013 totaled 5,533,395, including 2,794,285 to retired workers, 510,867 to their spouses and children, and 861,668 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 868,965 disabled workers and to 497,610 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2014
Individual living in his or her own household	$721
Couple with both members eligible	$1,082
Cost-of-living adjustment	1.5 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2013	$53.9 billion
Number of recipients, December 2013	8.4 million
Average benefit, December 2013	$529.15
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2013	$50.6 billion
Number of recipients, December 2013	8.1 million
Average benefit, December 2013	$510.21
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2013	$3.3 billion
Number of recipients, December 2013	a 2.2 million
Average benefit, December 2013	$121.48
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 2013, 8,363,477 persons received federally administered SSI payments—100,600 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,107,524 (25.2 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,934,272 (59.0 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,321,681 (15.8 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
• The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 64,788 (1.3 percent) between December 2012 and December 2013, and the number under age 18 increased by 9,820 (0.7 percent).
• During 2013, 912,243 persons were awarded federally administered payments, a decrease of 51,387 from the previous year. Of the 2013 awards, 623,389 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 175,000 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 113,854 to recipients aged 65 or older.
• Total federally administered SSI payments were $53.9 billion in 2013, up 3.5 percent from 2012. Federal SSI payments in 2013 were $50.6 billion (an increase of 3.8 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $3.3 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2013
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$261.9 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$313.1 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2013 (one or both of Parts A and B)	52.4 million
Aged	43.6 million
Disabled	8.8 million
Administrative costs, 2013
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$4.3 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.6 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$3.7 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.2 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2012	$369.6 billion
Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2012	69.3 million
Average 2012 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$15,350
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$15,841
Dependent children under age 21	$2,089
Average 2012 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$31,401
Inpatient general hospital care	$7,732
Prescribed drugs	$880
Physicians services	$492

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2012	$42.6 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$302.67
Duration of benefits	17.0 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	3.3 million
Covered employment	129.5 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2012	$61.8 billion
Compensation payments	$31.0 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$30.8 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$33.4 billion
State and federal funds	$13.7 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$14.8 billion
Covered workers per month	127.9 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.32 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2011
California
State fund	$447
Private plans	$924
New York
Private plans	$193
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	$631
Maximum monthly family benefit	$1,263
Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2013	16,958
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2013	$139.9 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2013
Disability and survivors benefits	$164.4 million
Medical benefits	$34.6 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2013
Service-connected disability	3,734,000
Nonservice-connected disability	305,000
Monthly payment in 2014 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$131
Total disability	$2,858
Nonservice-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$1,054
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$2,085

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2013
Individual, aged 65 or older	$11,173
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$14,095
Family of four	$23,836
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2013
All ages	14.5 percent
Children under age 18 living in families	19.5 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	9.5 percent