Social Security Administration (SSA) Quarterly Data for
Spoken Language Preferences
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Blind and Disabled Initial Claims

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(Updated October 3, 2024)

This dataset contains data for fiscal year(s) 2023 on and is currently available in the following format(s):

Comma Separated Values (CSV)

Background

The goal of the SSA is to improve core services provided to the public and provide alternative methods for conducting business with the agency. In support of this goal, SSA is committed to providing equal access to services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. The above datasets provide quarterly volumes for spoken language preferences at the national level of individuals applying for SSI Blind and Disabled benefits.

Dataset Index

Agency Program Description

SSA administers two different programs which pay disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The disability standard for SSDI and SSI benefits are the same, except for issues of blindness and for SSI Disabled Child benefits (SSI DC). Eligibility for disability benefits for both programs administered by SSA has two sets of eligibility criteria, namely disability and non-disability criteria. A favorable finding is required for both disability and non-disability criteria for benefits to be awarded.

SSA administers the means-tested SSI program, a nationwide federal assistance program that guarantees a minimum level of income. We pay SSI benefits to help aged (age 65 or older), blind, and disabled people, who have limited income, limited resources, and are U. S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens. An initial claim is the initial request or application submitted by the public.

For more information about the SSI program, go to: Supplemental Security Income Homepage.

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Data Collection Description

SSA collects language preference data when members of the public contact us to apply for Social Security and Medicare benefits and services. We use our electronic systems to capture this information. The Social Security Unified Measurement System (SUMS) provides work measurement data for all workloads processed throughout SSA. SUMS Counts Demographics Data (SCDD) is the data source for SSA's LEP reports. SCDD is populated by associating the agency's SUMS workload data with demographics data, which is housed in the SUMS client tables and is sourced by the Integrated Client Data Base. Demographics data includes spoken language, written language, age range, and gender.

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Notes

• A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff.
• Reporting quarters are administratively set reporting periods and do not necessarily correspond exactly to calendar months.

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Data Dictionary

Spoken Language: Language preference of the claimant for oral communication.

Fiscal Year (FY) / Quarter (QTR): The 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September and the corresponding quarter.

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