Social Security (OASDI)

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2003	154.3 million

Average earnings, 2003	$32,808

Earnings required in 2004 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$900
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$3,600

Earnings test exempt amounts for 2004
Under full retirement age for entire year	$11,640
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2004	$31,080
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2004	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2003	2.1 percent

Average monthly benefit, December 2003
Retired workers	$922
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$888
Disabled workers	$862

Number of beneficiaries, December 2003
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	47.0 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	32.7 million
Retired workers	29.5 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.8 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	4.5 million
Disability Insurance
Total	7.6 million
Disabled workers	5.9 million

Benefit payments, 2003
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$470.8 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$399.8 billion
Disability Insurance	$70.9 billion

Administrative expenses, 2003
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$2.6 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.6 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.0 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.8 percent

Program Trends

About 47.0 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2003, an increase of 594,000 (1.2 percent) since December 2002. Sixty-nine percent were retired workers and their spouses and children, and another 14 percent were survivors of deceased workers. Sixteen percent were disabled workers and their spouses and children.
Seventy-two percent of the 29.5 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (75 percent) than men (69 percent) received reduced benefits.
The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from 32.0 million in 1998 to 33.5 million in 2003 (4.7 percent). Beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (10.3 percent) from 3,873,000 in 1998 to 4,271,000 in 2003. In 2003, 40,500 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
More than 19 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2003. About 7.3 million (37.8 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit, and another 5.7 million (29.6 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit. About 6.3 million (32.6 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
Over 3 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,345,000 children of deceased workers, 1,461,600 children of disabled workers, and 273,600 children of retired workers.
About 6.8 million persons received benefits based on disability—5,874,000 disabled workers, 752,800 disabled adult children, and 209,400 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 150,900 spouses and 1,508,400 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
Average monthly benefits for December 2003, including the 2.1 percent COLA increase, were $922 for retired workers, $862 for disabled workers, and $888 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, benefits averaged $1,039 for men and $798 for women. For disabled workers, average benefits were $966 for men and $734 for women.
Average monthly family benefits for December 2003 were $1,672 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,455 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $1,833 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2003 were $470.8 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $399.8 billion—an increase of 3.0 percent from the $388.1 billion paid in 2002.
Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 8.0 percent from $65.7 billion in 2002 to $70.9 billion in 2003.
OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2003 totaled 4,321,800, including 1,791,300 to retired workers, 417,800 to their spouses and children and 853,000 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 777,500 disabled workers and to 482,100 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2004
Individual living in his or her own household	$564
Couple with both members eligible	$846

Cost-of-living adjustment	2.1 percent

Program Data

Total
Benefits paid in 2003	$35.6 billion
Number of recipients, December 2003	7.1 million
Average benefit, December 2003	$418.04

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2003	$34.7 billion
Number of recipients, December 2003	6.9 million
Average benefit, December 2003	$417.16
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2003	$30.7 billion
Number of recipients, December 2003	6.6 million
Average benefit, December 2003	$383.59
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2003	$4.0 billion
Number of recipients, December 2003	2.5 million ^a
Average benefit, December 2003	$138.38

State-administered supplementation
Benefits paid in 2003	$0.9 billion
Number of recipients, December 2003	0.6 million ^b
Average benefit, December 2003	$124.38

a. Includes 2.2 million persons receiving federal SSI and state supplementation and 0.3 million persons receiving state supplementation only.

b. Includes 149,621 persons receiving state supplementation only.

Program Trends

In December 2003, 6,902,400 persons received federally administered SSI payments—114,500 more than the previous year. Of the total, 1,989,700 (28.8 percent) were aged 65 or older; 3,953,200 (57.3 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 959,400 (13.9 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 75,500 (1.9 percent) between December 2002 and December 2003, while the number under age 18 increased by 44,600 (4.9 percent).
During 2003, 824,000 persons were awarded federally administered payments, an increase of 6,000 from the previous year. Of the 2003 awards, 537,400 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 179,600 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 107,000 to recipients aged 65 or older.
Total SSI payments were $35.6 billion in 2003, up 3.0 percent from 2002. Federal SSI payments in 2003 were $30.7 billion (an increase of 2.6 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $4.0 billion (an increase of 4.8 percent); state-administered supplementation totaled $912.0 million, an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year's totals.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2003
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$152.1 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$123.8 billion

Number of enrollees in July 2003 (one or both of Parts A and B)	41.1 million
Aged	35.0 million
Disabled	6.1 million

Administrative costs, 2003
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$2.5 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.7 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$2.3 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.9 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2002	$213.5 billion

Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2002	49.8 million

Average 2002 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$10,870
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$11,408
Dependent children under age 21	$1,271
Average 2002 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$22,247
Inpatient general hospital care	$5,766
Prescribed drugs	$1,163
Physicians services	$378

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2003	$41.4 billion

Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$262
Duration of benefits	16.4 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	3.5 million

Covered employment	126.1 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2002	$53.4 billion
Compensation payments	$29.2 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$24.3 billion

Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$29.0 billion
State and federal funds	$12.5 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$11.9 billion

Covered workers per month	125.6 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.58 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2001
California ^a
State fund	$288
Private plans	$449
New York
State fund	$145
Private plans	$191

NOTE: Programs in effect in California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, and the railroad industry.

a. Accounts for half of the workers participating in Temporary Disability Insurance.

Black Lung Benefits

Basic benefit to miner or widow	$549.00

Maximum family benefit	$1,098.00

Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2003	64,237
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2003	$411.6 million

Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2003
Disability and survivors benefits	$336.9 million
Medical benefits	$55 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2003
Service-connected disability	2,485,000
Non-service-connected disability	347,000

Monthly payment in 2003 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$104
Total disability	$2,193
Non-service-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$807
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$1,597

Public Assistance Programs

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Total payments, 2003	$9.5 billion

Average monthly number of—
Recipients	4.9 million
Families	2.0 million

Average monthly payment
Per recipient	$162
Per family	$393

Food Stamps

Monthly benefits, beginning October 1, 2004
Four-person household with no income	$499
Standard deduction (one-person to four-person households)	$134

Fiscal year 2003
Average number of participants	21.3 million
Total benefits	$21.4 billion

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

Block grants to—
50 states and the District of Columbia	$1.65 billion
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands	$2.3 million

Direct block grants to 132 Indian tribes and tribal organizations	$16.4 million

Leveraging incentive awards to—
38 states	$19.0 million
28 Indian tribes and tribal organizations	$1.6 million

Residential Emergency Assistance Challenge (REACH) program awards to—
6 states	$5.5 million
7 Indian tribes and tribal organizations	$1.0 million

Emergency contingency funds to—
33 states and the District of Columbia	$99.4 million
46 Indian tribes and tribal organizations	$613 thousand

NOTE: Funds issued by the Department of Health and Human Services in fiscal year 2002.

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2003
Individual, aged 65 or older	$8,825
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$11,133
Family of four	$18,810

Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2002
All ages	12.1 percent
Children under age 18 living in families	16.2 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	10.4 percent