2012 OASDI Trustees Report

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G. ANALYSIS OF BENEFIT DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE OASI TRUST FUND WITH RESPECT TO DISABLED BENEFICIARIES
(Required by section 201(c) of the Social Security Act)
Effective January 1957, the OASI Trust Fund pays monthly benefits to disabled children aged 18 and over of retired and deceased workers if the disability began before age 18. The age by which disability must have begun was later changed to age 22. Effective February 1968, the OASI Trust Fund pays reduced monthly benefits to disabled widows and widowers at ages 50 and over. Effective January 1991, the requirements for the disability of the widow or widower were made less restrictive.
As of December 31, 2011, the OASI Trust Fund paid monthly benefits to about 1,020,000 individuals because of their disabilities or the disabilities of children. This total includes approximately 27,000 mothers and fathers (wives or husbands under normal retirement age of retired-worker beneficiaries and widows or widowers of deceased insured workers) who met all other qualifying requirements and were receiving unreduced benefits solely because they had disabled-child beneficiaries (or disabled children aged 16 or 17) in their care. In calendar year 2011, the OASI Trust Fund paid a total of $9,138 million to the people described above. Table VI.G1 shows OASI benefit payments for disability for selected calendar years during 1960-2011 and estimates for 2012-21 based on the intermediate set of assumptions.
 
Table VI.G1.—Benefit Disbursements From the OASI Trust Fund
With Respect to Disabled Beneficiaries
Amount of benefit paymentsa
Children  c
Widows-
widowers  c
Widows-
widowers  d

a
Beginning in 1966, includes payments for vocational rehabilitation services.

b
Also includes certain mothers and fathers (see text).

c
In 1984 and later years, includes only disabled widows and widowers aged 50-59, because disabled widows and widowers age 60 and older are eligible for the same benefit as a nondisabled aged widow or widower. Therefore, they are not receiving benefits solely because of a disability.

d
In 1983 and prior years, includes the offsetting effect of lower benefits payable to disabled widows and widowers who continued to receive benefits after attaining age 60 (62, for disabled widowers prior to 1973), compared to the higher nondisabled widow’s and widower’s benefits that would otherwise be payable. In 1984 and later years, includes only benefit payments to disabled widows and widowers aged 50-59 (see footnote c).

Note: Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.
Under the intermediate assumptions, the Trustees estimate that total benefit payments from the OASI Trust Fund with respect to disabled beneficiaries will increase from $9,738 million in calendar year 2012 to $14,593 million in calendar year 2021.
In calendar year 2011, benefit payments (including expenditures for vocational rehabilitation services) with respect to disabled persons from the OASI Trust Fund and from the DI Trust Fund (including payments from the DI fund to all children and spouses of disabled-worker beneficiaries) totaled $138,117 million. Of this amount, $9,138 million, or 6.6 percent, represented payments from the OASI Trust Fund. Table VI.G2 contains these and similar figures for selected calendar years during 1960-2011 and estimates for calendar years 2012-21.
 
Table VI.G2.—Benefit Disbursements Under the OASDI Program
With Respect to Disabled Beneficiaries 
Amount  c

a
Beginning in 1966, includes payments for vocational rehabilitation services.

b
Benefit payments to disabled workers and their children and spouses.

c
Benefit payments to disabled children aged 18 and over, to certain mothers and fathers (see text), and to disabled widows and widowers (see footnote d, table VI.G1).

Note: Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

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