Social
Security is part of almost everyone's life. Social Security protects more
than 150 million workers and pays benefits to more than 45 million people.
You
and your family probably are protected by Social Security...and you probably
pay taxes that help make the system work. But you also may be unsure about
what Social Security does, who it helps and how much it costs.
This
booklet gives you some basic facts about Social Security ... and tells
you how to get more information if you want it.
Social
Security Is More Than Retirement. It Provides Survivors Protection Worth
$403,000 To An Average Family
Younger
Americans face roughly a 1-in-7 chance of dying before reaching age 67.
Survivors
benefits, paid to a deceased worker's family, can help with financial
problems that sometimes follow a worker's death by providing a continuing
cash income.
The
value of Social Security survivors benefits for a young average wage earner
who dies and leaves a spouse and two children is equivalent to a $403,000
life insurance policy. Of course, Social Security benefits are paid monthly
and not in a lump-sum payment.
The
average monthly payment for a family consisting of a widow(er) with two
children is $1,747 per month. Social Security payments increase based
on the annual cost-of-living index--something few private insurance plans
offer.
Social
Security Survivors Benefits
Who
can get survivors benefits? Children age 18 or younger can get Social
Security survivors benefits and so can a child who is age 19 or younger
but still in high school...or a child who is age 18 or older but who becomes
disabled before age 22. A widow(er) who is caring for children under age
16 or disabled may receive benefits. A widow(er) age 60 or older, or a
widow(er) age 50 or older who is
disabled, may receive benefits.
Today,
Social Security pays monthly survivors benefits to about 7 million Americans,
almost 2 million of whom are children.
Social
Security Also Provides Disability Protection
While
people usually think of retirement benefits when they think of Social
Security, the program also protects a worker who becomes severely disabled.
It's
important protection.
Studies
show that a 20-year old worker has about a 3-in-10 chance of becoming
disabled before reaching retirement age.
Few
workers have private, long-term disability insurance. But nearly all workers
do have Social Security disability protection.
Under
Social Security, workers are considered disabled if they cannot do work
they did before and we decide they cannot adjust to other work because
of their medical condition(s). The disability must be expected to last
for at least 12 months or to result in death. Once benefits begin, they
continue for as long as the worker is disabled and can't work. The disabled
worker and his or her eligible family members receive checks each month.
Social
Security Disability Benefits
More
than 5 million disabled workers under age 65 and 1.6 million dependents
(including more than a million children) receive Social Security. The
average monthly payment to a disabled worker is $815; for a disabled worker
with a spouse and one or more children, the average payment is $1,360.
Also,
a worker who receives disability payments for two years becomes eligible
for Medicare.
Social
Security And SSI Are Different Programs
When
people talk about disability benefits, there is often confusion about
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is understandable
because the Social Security Administration administers both programs.
But the programs are different.
Social
Security disability insurance is a program that workers, employers and
the self-employed pay for with their Social Security taxes. You qualify
for these benefits based on your work history, and the amount of your
benefit is based on your earnings.
SSI
is a program paid for through general tax revenues--not through Social
Security trust funds. SSI disability benefits are paid to people who have
a disability and who don't own much or have a lot of income.
Almost
Every Retiree Gets Social Security Benefits
Social
Security pays monthly retirement benefits to more than 32 million retired
workers and their family members. More than 9-in-10 Americans who are
age 65 or older get Social Security benefits.
Full
retirement benefits are now payable at age 65 for those people born before
1938, with reduced benefits available as early as age 62. The age for
full benefits is gradually rising, until it reaches age 67 in 2027 for
people born in 1960 or later. (Reduced benefits will continue to be available
at age 62.)
Social
Security Is A Foundation For Building A Comfortable Retirement
A
recent national poll found 3-in-4 workers "worry that they won't
have enough money to live comfortably in retirement." Often the difference
between retirees who enjoy retirement and those who struggle is financial
planning.
Social
Security has always been part of a "three-legged stool" that
could support a comfortable retirement. The other two legs of the stool
are pension income and savings/investments.
Financial
advisers often tell people when they quit work, they'll need about 70
percent of preretirement income to live comfortably. By itself, Social
Security replaces about 40 percent of an average wage earner's salary.
To
help you plan your financial future, Social Security has a series of planners
on its Internet website, www.ssa.gov .
They allow you to compute benefit estimates and figure what you need to
save to live comfortably in retirement.
Social
Security-- A Foundation
Social
Security benefit amounts, as of January 2002, are shown below for low,
average and maximum wage earners who retire at age 65:
The
benefit amounts above are based on steady lifetime earnings from age 22
through the year before retirement (2001). For 2001, these earnings are
estimated to be approximately $15,200 for a low earner; $33,700 for an
average earner; $80,400 or above for a maximum earner. Married workers
can receive benefits based either on their own work record or their spouse's,
whichever is higher.
You
Will Get An Estimate Of Your Social Security Benefits
You
will find out how much you can expect to get from Social Security, based
on your own earnings record, from the Social
Security Statement . If you are working,
age 25 and older, and not receiving Social Security benefits on your
own record, you will receive the Statement
three months before your birthday.
If
you think you will earn more than estimated in your
Statement , you can request an updated one by calling our toll-free
number-- 1-800-772-1213 .
Our
lines are busiest early in the week and early in the month, so, if your
business can wait, it's best to call at other times. You also can call
at night, on weekends and on holidays, 365 days a year. Or if you prefer,
you can request a Social Security Statement
form at www.ssa.gov on the Internet.
Your
Social Security Tax Dollars
Almost
all American workers pay Social Security taxes. If you take a look at
your pay stub-- the part showing how much is taken out for various taxes
and benefits each pay period--you'll see deductions for Social Security
and Medicare. On some pay stubs it's called FICA, which stands for "Federal
Insurance Contributions Act," the law that authorized payroll deductions
for Social Security.
The
tax rate of 7.65 percent covers both Social Security and Medicare. The
Social Security part of the tax is 6.20 percent of gross wages, up to
$84,900 in the year 2002. The Medicare tax is 1.45 percent of all earnings.
Employers
match a worker's Social Security tax payment. Self-employed people pay
Social Security taxes equal to the combined employee/employer tax, although
half of their tax is deductible as a business cost.
Generally,
out of every dollar paid in Social Security and Medicare taxes:
-
69
cents goes to a trust fund that pays retirement and survivors benefits;
-
19
cents goes to a trust fund that pays Medicare benefits; and
-
12
cents goes to a trust fund that pays disability benefits.
Your
Social Security taxes also pay for administering Social Security. The
administrative costs are less than 1 cent of every Social Security tax
dollar collected.
The
Social Security trust funds now take in more money than they pay out
each month-- on average more than $14 billion per month. These "reserve"
funds are invested in U.S. Treasury bonds, the safest of all possible
investments. Those reserves will grow, earn interest and be used to
help pay for the retirement of the baby boom generation.
Why
Social Security?
Over
the past six decades, Social Security has become the most successful
domestic government program in history.
A
basic understanding of why Social Security came about is important to
understanding today's Social Security program...and also to deciding
what Social Security should be in the 21st century.
Its
History
Before
the industrial revolution, America was mostly a country of small farmers.
But we soon became a country where more people worked for wages--and
fewer worked the land. This change helped make America strong, and
it raised our standard of living. It also made it more difficult for
families to "take care of their own" in hard times.
The
Great Depression of the 1930s dramatized the fact that many American
workers were dependent financially on factors beyond their own control.
The Social Security Act, signed into law by President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt in 1935, helped to change this situation.
In
the following years, Social Security was broadened to include survivors
benefits, disability benefits and health care benefits.
Its
Philosophy
The
Social Security system provides a minimum "floor of protection"
for retired workers, and for workers and their families who face a
loss of income due to disability or the death of a family wage earner.
Social
Security payments are based on two philosophies. First, the system
is designed so that there is a clear link between how much a worker
pays into the system and how much the worker will get in benefits.
Basically, high wage earners get more and low wage earners get less.
At
the same time, the Social Security benefit formula is weighted in
favor of low wage earners, who have fewer resources to save or invest
during their working years. Social Security retirement benefits replace
approximately 54 percent of the preretirement earnings of a low wage
earner and 40 percent of an average wage earner.
Basically,
the Social Security program is a way of providing a base of economic
security in today's society. It allows older Americans to live independently
and with dignity and relieves their families of the financial burden
for their retirement years. Social Security also provides a valuable
package of disability and survivors insurance to workers over their
working lifetimes.
Its
Future
Our
Social Security system has been a basic part of American life for
more than 60 years. It has changed frequently over the years to meet
new needs of workers and of beneficiaries. It will undoubtedly change
in the future to meet the needs of 21st century workers and beneficiaries.
More
Information
Check
our website at www.ssa.gov for answers
to many of the questions you may have and for other Social Security
services you may need. You can order publications and forms, use our
online Benefits Planners , request to
receive eNews, our free electronic newsletter
and even file for retirement, disability or spouse's benefits or online.
Or you may call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213
. We can answer specific questions by phone from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
on business days and provide information by automated phone service
24 hours a day. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our
TTY number, 1-800-325-0778 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days.
We treat all calls confidentially-- whether they're made to our toll-free
numbers or to one of our local offices. We also want to ensure that
you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a
second Social Security representative monitor some incoming and outgoing
telephone calls
Social
Security Administration
SSA Publication No. 05-10080
May 2002
ICN 468350
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