This Month In History

January 29, 1932
The first State unemployment insurance law was enacted in Wisconsin.

January 1934
Dr. Francis Townsend and Robert Clements set up the organization Old-age Revolving Pensions, Ltd.

January 4, 1935
Roosevelt's message to Congress called for legislation to provide assistance for the unemployed, the aged, destitute children and the physically handicapped.

January 15, 1935
The Committee on Economic Security released its Report to President Roosevelt.

January 17, 1935
The Committee on Economic Security's recommendations, embodied in the Economic Security Bill, were introduced in the 74th Congress. Recommendations included Federal old-age insurance, Federal-State public assistance and unemployment insurance programs, and extension of public health, maternal and child health, services for crippled children and child welfare services, and vocational rehabilitation but not health insurance. S.1130 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Robert F. Wagner; H.R. 4120 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Robert L. Doughton; and H.R. 4142 was introduced by Representative David J. Lewis.

January 21, 1935
Hearings began before the House Committee on Ways and Means on the Economic Security Bill. The Senate Finance Committee began hearings the next day.

January 1, 1937
Workers began to acquire credits toward old-age insurance benefits. Employers and employees became subject to a tax of one percent of wages on up to $3,000 a year. Lump-sum payments were first made payable to eligible workers, their survivors or their estates. The Federal unemployment tax payable by employers of 8 or more was increased to two percent of payroll.

January 1, 1940
Monthly benefits first became payable under old-age and survivor's insurance to aged retired workers and their dependents and to survivors of deceased insured workers. The Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund was established as a separate account in the United States Treasury to hold the amounts accumulated under the old-age and survivors insurance program. Basic provisions for hearing and review instituted by the Social Security Board under authority to establish procedures, hold hearings, and take testimony in relation to determination of rights to old-age and survivors insurance benefits (Office of Appeals Council).

January 1955
The Bureau of Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance took the first "disability freeze" applications.

January 1957
The first disability payments were paid under OASDI, when benefits for this month went to retired or deceased workers' dependent children aged 18 or over, where a permanent and total disability had begun before age 18. The increase in OASDI contribution rates became effective; 2 1/4 % each for employers and employees and 3 3/8% for self-employed.

January 1961
The Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance began keeping its benefit rolls electronically. Under contract with RCA, the Bureau installed the first units in a complex of high speed, all transistorized electronic data processing equipment in its seven Payment Centers.

January 8, 1964
In his message on the State of the Union, President Johnson declared "unconditional war on poverty in America."

January 13, 1969
The Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, sent to the President the report of the Task Force on Prescription Drugs as called for by the 1967 amendments.

January 14, 1969
DHEW Secretary Wilbur J. Cohen called for a program under Medicare to aid the elderly in paying for necessary prescription drugs used outside the hospital.

January 19, 1973
At a ceremony, the Administration Building at the SSA Woodlawn Complex was renamed the Arthur J. Altmeyer Building, in memory of the late Commissioner.

January 1, 1975
President Ford signs into law the Privacy Act of 1974. This law contains safeguards preventing the disclosure of information in government files if such disclosure would violate the privacy of individual citizens.

January 1978
Beginning with the 1978 tax year, annual reporting of wages by employers replaced quarterly reporting, although State and local entities would continue to report on a quarterly basis.

January 20, 1983
The National Commission on Social Security Reform (aka the Greenspan Commission) sent its recommendations for resolving the Social Security program's financial problems to the President and Congress.

January 23, 1996
An SSA employee who survived the Oklahoma City bombing, Claims Representative Richard Dean, was invited to sit with Mrs. Clinton during the President's annual State of the Union Address and Mr. Dean was introduced by the President in the course of his remarks.

January 6, 1997
The Social Security Advisory Council released its report. The Council offered three options for changing Social Security: (1) a Maintain Benefits plan; (2) an Individual Accounts plan; and (3) a Personal Savings Account plan.