Social Security Administration Case Study

The Social Security system is perhaps the most successful government social insurance program in the nation 's history; and began with the Social Security Act in 1935. Social Security is a needed federal system that encourages income stability to millions of people across the United States. This is accomplished by giving a stable flow of income to replenish lost wages that occur as a result of disability, retirement, or death of a family member. There are about 59 million people in the U.S. that receive Social Security. Most of them are the required 65 years of age or older. Sadly about half of the 59 million people rely solely on Social Security to pay their bills and everyday necessities.

The Social Security Act of 1935 [H.R. 7260] was a bill that was signed on August 14, 1935 by President, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The act was established to help the elderly, disabled, or families who have lost a parent or spouse. The Social Security Act also known as SSA, was created to provide disadvantaged populations federal benefits. The act has a total of eleven titles ranging from the topics of the elderly, unemployed, child welfare, public health, and the blind. This paper will uncover what the Society Security was and how it contributed to the society. This paper will also cover the historical background, such as what problems led to the creation of this policy and if it was fixed by creating this act.

It has been recognized that ever since its passage into law the Affordable Care Act frequently known as Obamacare has and will continue to attract criticism and scrutiny. This is the America`s major and mainly well-liked social indemnity programs. Despite the fact the Affordable Care Act is a highly multifaceted piece of legislation featuring many regulatory and intergovernmental provisions meant to deal with lack of health insurance coverage affecting a variety of diverse groups, Medicare and social security are much more focused programs providing benefits primarily to the aged. Social security and Medicare were in the beginning implemented more without difficulty and with a little of bipartisan support, because in 1935 and 1965 democrats

For years, Social Security has provided retired, disabled, as well many other Americans with financial security when they lacked or had little income later in their lives. Now, Social Security is being overwhelmed as the American population continues to grow. The Baby Boomers, or the demographic group born in the post- World War II era, from 1946-1964, have been the main reason for the prevalence of this issue. Millions were born during this era and by 2012 they were eligible for the full benefits of Social Security. Two years after that and for the first time ever, Social Security had to draw from its fund and since then they have not collected a surplus of taxes. Recent predictions show that by “2035, the number of Americans over age 65 will jump from today's 48 million to 79 million,” showing that this is just the start of Social Security’s problems to come. By 2035, I will hopefully be in my mid-30’s, wondering if one I would be able to afford retirement and without this system, I’m a bit unsure.

The Social Security Administration is a great government administration that provides retirement and disability benefits to a large portion of the U.S. population. It was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). He created many new administration during the great depression to combat poverty such as the Works Progress Administration. Unlike the Works Progress Administration, on the Social Security Administration fights poverty through planning for the future rather than the now. The Administration themselves views themselves high as well, on their website they stated that the Social Security Administration is “one of the most successful anti-poverty programs in our nation's history”. The SSA could not have come at a better time than when it did during the great depression. It was crucial to the nation's future as to whether it would fall back down to its knees right as it got back up. The SSA protected us with retirement benefits which allow and help us plan for our retirement safely ensuring that we will have money when we can no longer work. This need for a retirement plan is exemplified by FDR’s speech to the N.Y. state legislature where he states “No greater tragedy exists in modern civilization than the aged, worn-out worker who after a life of ceaseless effort and useful productivity must look forward to his declining years to a poorhouse.” This is arguably the most useful part of the SSA.

We all can agree that in the past years there has been many events that has impacted America. One ever lasting effect was left by the Social Security Act of 1935. The Social Security programs are designed to protect individual families from income loss due to unemployment, sickness, old age, death, and to improve citizens ' welfare ("Why Social Security?"2015).

The passing of the Social Security Act generated a social insurance program that protected a multiplicity of people by supplying a monthly benefit to societal individuals age 65 and older who were no longer actively working; it was a means of income to individuals once they retired and was based on the person’s payroll tax contribution (Martin & Weaver, 2005). The longer amount of years a person was employed, the higher their benefit amount is set to be. Social weighing was a method they used to guarantee that the lower earning people receive a respectively greater income than their past earnings. (DeWitt, 2010). Not long after the Social Security Act was passed, legislation had considerable amounts of amendments to the original Social Security Act of 1935, and in 1939 the notion of economic security became family based; which it was then modified in order to supplement benefits to the spouse or young children of a retired worker, also providing welfare to a household who lost the loved one that was a covered worker (King & Cecil, 2006). In addition, the Social Security amendments of 1939 altered the benefits to be given to earlier participants and not focusing on giving benefits to future members in the Social Security program, also causing the arrangement of welfare to be provided to families rather than just an individual (DeWitt, 2007). Social Security being emphasized as an insurance rather than a savings, and carrying payroll tax money into the future would have

     Several federal agencies today support and administer the various Social Security programs. The programs associated with Social Security include Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), Medicare, Unemployment Compensation, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For people who have worked for a living, OASDI and Medicare provide support during their older years and when they have stopped working. Unemployment Compensation provides temporary financial help during periods between jobs. SSI provides income to people who cannot work for various reasons. The OASDI

Many politicians have utilized the privatization of social security as a political platform. For example, former President George W. Bush has had 47% of Republicans that has voted in support to privatize the system. Presently, the payments received from the Social Security system grants monetary payments to the millions of Americans that are either retired or the family members of the retired and disabled for deceased workers. The federal government is held responsible for collecting these payments. Back in 1935, the social security system was formerly known as the Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI). During this time, it only took seventeen contributions from workers to pay one retiree. In comparison to now, a quarter of the employed U.S households that has contributed into the Social security funding

Social Security is a system that is prevailing in several nations for their citizens’ welfare, which was initiated in the US in 1930’s. It is interesting to see how it has transformed in the hands of some of the US presidents. Ever since it was originated, it has been on the ramp getting modified constantly in such a way that it meets the needs of the Americans.

The Social Security Act (SSA) of 1935 was drafted during the Great Depression as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The SSA was an attempt to limit what were seen as dangers in the American life, including old age, poverty, unemployment, and the burden of widows and fatherless children. The SSA was intended to provide a minimal level of sustenance to older Americans, saving them from poverty. By signing the Social Security Act, President Roosevelt became the first president to advocate federal assistance for the elderly. The SSA provided benefits to retirees and the unemployed, and a lump-sum benefit at death. Payment to current retirees are financed through payroll taxes on current workers’ wages, half directly as a payroll tax and half paid by the employer. The SSA also gave money to states to provide assistance to the elderly, health care, maternal and child welfare, and assistance for the disabled and blind. In 1965, Congress expanded the system to include

Organizations such as the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) have a very big influence among the elderly and the policy making that takes place. The reason as to why this is a strength is solely because when the AARP steps in for the elderly they are not only representing the elderly which are their primary goal but the disable and widows, two other groups of people that highly benefit from the social security program. As you where able to learn during the course, primarily in chapter 17 Social Policy, the AARP “pays close attention, when congress considers changes in programs that affect the elderly.” (We The People) These organizations devote their time and strengths in order to defend the Social Security Program; many times it was the AARP that stopped reforms from happening and affecting the Social Security Program such as in times like 2005 and 2009 when the AARP was either against or for health reforms being added into the Social Security Program. The weaknesses of the Social Security program could primarily be that economically the Social Security Program in several occasions was at risk of financially collapsing ( Peter Ferrara) If the Social Security Program were ever to fail this would mean thousand of beneficiaries would run the risk of not having any financial sustainability. In Peter Ferrera’s article, “The Future of Social Security” as

Social security in the United States is a federal system run by the Social Security Administration to provide monetary benefits, or welfare, to citizens who are retired, unemployed, or disabled. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the Social Security Act which limited the dangers of old age, unemployment, disability, and families with dependent children within the United States during the great depression. In order to obtain the funds paid out to current social security recipients payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA) taxes are collected from the earnings of current workers.1 FICA and SECA

Social Security has helped the elderly receive income during their retirement years, and has helped those who have disabilities from accidents and other disabilities to supplement their income sources. Social Security takes a portion of income from workers paychecks each month, and pay those individuals a retirement income based on when they elect to retire and receive this income. “This income makes up of more than half the retirement income of more than 75 percent of retired Americans,” and continues to help households with their daily living expenses by injecting funds back into the economy (Osterland, 2014).

Social Security is one of the largest domestic federal programs with the largest source of income for most retirees, and is relied by the most vulnerable people of society. However, the program is financially unstable for the upcoming decades to come. Estimates show that Social Security will be to pay Americans’ full benefits for the next 20 years, but after 20 years, future generations could be in trouble, and Social Security will not be able to provide benefits towards the American people. Specifically, according to a news article by, National Affairs, written by, Andrew Biggs, “A New Vision for Social Security”, “It is therefore incumbent upon today's policymakers to address Social Security's fiscal problems and to ensure