Annual Statistical Supplement, 2010

Highlights and Trends

Social Security (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance)

Employment and Earnings

Workers in OASDI covered employment, 2009	157.6 million
Average earnings, 2009	$39,223
Earnings required in 2010 for—
1 quarter of coverage	$1,120
Maximum of 4 quarters of coverage	$4,480
Earnings test exempt amounts for 2010
Under full retirement age for entire year	$14,160
For months before reaching full retirement age in 2010	$37,680
Beginning with month of reaching full retirement age in 2010	Test eliminated

Program Data

Cost-of-living adjustment for December 2009	0.0 percent
Average monthly benefit, December 2009
Retired workers	$1,164
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	$1,124
Disabled workers	$1,064
Number of beneficiaries, December 2009
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	52.5 million
Old-Age Insurance
Total	36.4 million
Retired workers	33.5 million
Survivors Insurance
Total	6.4 million
Widows and widowers, nondisabled	4.1 million
Disability Insurance
Total	9.7 million
Disabled workers	7.8 million
Benefit payments, 2009
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance	$675.5 billion
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance	$557.2 billion
Disability Insurance	$118.3 billion
Administrative expenses, 2009
Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Amount	$3.4 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	0.6 percent
Disability Insurance
Amount	$2.7 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	2.3 percent

Program Trends

About 52.5 million persons received Social Security benefits for December 2009, an increase of 1,624,575 (3.2 percent) since December 2008. Sixty-nine percent were retired workers and their spouses and children, 12 percent were survivors of deceased workers, and 19 percent were disabled workers and their spouses and children.
Seventy-four percent of the 33.5 million retired workers received reduced benefits because of entitlement prior to full retirement age. Relatively more women (76.4 percent) than men (71.4 percent) received reduced benefits.
The number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older rose from about 33.7 million in 2004 to more than 36.5 million in 2009 (8.3 percent). The number of beneficiaries aged 85 or older increased at a greater rate during the 5-year period (17.3 percent), from fewer than 4.4 million in 2004 to more than 5.1 million in 2009. In 2009, about 49,000 centenarians were receiving Social Security.
About 20.7 million women aged 65 or older received benefits for December 2009. About 8.9 million (43.0 percent) were entitled solely to a retired-worker benefit. About 6.1 million (29.5 percent) were dually entitled to a retired-worker benefit and a wife's or widow's benefit, and about 5.7 million (27.5 percent) were receiving wife's or widow's benefits only.
Nearly 3.2 million children under age 18 received benefits, including 1,258,817 children of deceased workers, 1,598,189 children of disabled workers, and 301,132 children of retired workers.
About 8.9 million persons received benefits based on disability—7,788,013 disabled workers, 920,883 disabled adult children, and 236,480 disabled widows and widowers. In addition, 158,122 spouses and 1,657,713 minor and student children of disabled workers received benefits.
Average monthly benefits for December 2009 were $1,164 for retired workers, $1,064 for disabled workers, and $1,124 for nondisabled widows and widowers. Among retired workers, monthly benefits averaged $1,312 for men and $1,011 for women. For disabled workers, average monthly benefits were $1,189 for men and $925 for women. No cost-of-living adjustment for 2010 went into effect in December 2009.
Average monthly family benefits for December 2009 were $2,110 for a widowed mother or father and children; $1,835 for a disabled worker, wife, and children; and $2,394 for a retired worker, wife, and children.
Total OASDI benefit payments for calendar year 2009 were $675.5 billion. Payments from the OASI trust fund were $557.2 billion—an increase of 9.4 percent from the $509.1 billion paid in 2008.
Benefit payments from the DI trust fund, from which benefits are paid to disabled workers, their spouses, and children, increased by 11.3 percent from $106.3 billion in 2008 to $118.3 billion in 2009.
OASDI benefit awards in calendar year 2009 totaled 5,728,086, including 2,739,966 to retired workers, 531,535 to their spouses and children, and 899,645 to survivors of insured workers. Benefits were awarded to 970,696 disabled workers and to 586,244 of their spouses and children.

Supplemental Security Income

Annual Payment Adjustments

Monthly federal benefit rate, effective January 2010
Individual living in his or her own household	$674
Couple with both members eligible	$1,011
Cost-of-living adjustment	0.0 percent

Program Data

Federally administered payments
Benefits paid in 2009	$46.6 billion
Number of recipients, December 2009	7.7 million
Average benefit, December 2009	$498.75
Federal SSI payments
Benefits paid in 2009	$42.6 billion
Number of recipients, December 2009	7.4 million
Average benefit, December 2009	$476.33
Federally administered state supplementation
Benefits paid in 2009	$4.0 billion
Number of recipients, December 2009	2.3 million ^a
Average benefit, December 2009	$124.96

a. Includes 2.0 million persons receiving federal SSI and state supplementation and 0.3 million persons receiving state supplementation only.

Program Trends

In December 2009, 7,676,686 persons received federally administered SSI payments—156,185 more than the previous year. Of the total, 2,025,610 (26.4 percent) were aged 65 or older; 4,451,288 (58.0 percent) were blind or disabled aged 18–64; and 1,199,788 (15.6 percent) were blind or disabled under age 18.
The number of blind or disabled aged 18–64 rose by 118,192 (2.7 percent) between December 2008 and December 2009, and the number under age 18 increased by 45,944 (4.0 percent).
During 2009, 999,540 persons were awarded federally administered payments, an increase of 80,394 from the previous year. Of the 2009 awards, 694,242 went to blind or disabled recipients aged 18–64, 196,745 to those blind or disabled under age 18, and 108,553 to recipients aged 65 or older.
Total federally administered SSI payments were $46.6 billion in 2009, up 8.4 percent from 2008. Federal SSI payments in 2009 were $42.6 billion (an increase of 10.1 percent over the previous year). Federally administered state supplementation totaled $4.0 billion.

Health Care

Medicare

Total benefits paid in calendar year 2009
Hospital Insurance (Part A)	$239.3 billion
Supplementary Medical Insurance (Part B)	$263.0 billion
Number of enrollees in July 2009 (one or both of Parts A and B)	46.5 million
Aged	38.8 million
Disabled	7.8 million
Administrative costs, 2009
Hospital Insurance
Amount	$3.2 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.3 percent
Supplementary Medical Insurance
Amount	$3.5 billion
As a percentage of total benefits paid	1.3 percent

Medicaid

Medical service expenditures in fiscal year 2008	$296.6 billion
Number of unduplicated recipients, fiscal year 2008	58.7 million
Average 2008 vendor payment per unduplicated recipient
Persons aged 65 or older	$14,748
Permanently and totally disabled persons	$14,840
Dependent children under age 21	$2,035
Average 2008 vendor payment for medical services
Nursing facility services	$29,515
Inpatient general hospital care	$7,082
Prescribed drugs	$958
Physicians services	$485

Other Social Insurance Programs and Veterans' Benefits

Unemployment Insurance

Total payments, 2008	$42.7 billion
Average—
Weekly benefit amount (regular programs)	$297.10
Duration of benefits	14.9 weeks
Weekly insured unemployment	3.3 million
Covered employment	132.8 million

Workers' Compensation

Benefit payments, 2008	$57.6 billion
Compensation payments	$28.5 billion
Medical and hospitalization	$29.1 billion
Benefits paid by—
Private insurance carriers	$30.2 billion
State and federal funds	$13.9 billion
Employers' self-insurance	$13.6 billion
Covered workers per month	130.6 million
Costs as a percentage of covered payroll	1.33 percent

Temporary Disability Insurance

Average weekly benefit, 2007
California
State fund	$405
Private plans	$638
New York
Private plans	$196

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

Black Lung Benefits

Basic benefit to miner or widow	$616
Maximum family benefit	$1,232
Part B (claims filed before July 1, 1973)
Number of monthly benefits to miners, widows, and dependents, December 2009	28,558
Total benefits paid, calendar year 2009	$232.0 million
Part C (claims filed July 1, 1973, or later)
Total benefits paid, fiscal year 2009
Disability and survivors benefits	$251.0 million
Medical benefits	$31.0 million

Veterans' Benefits

Number of veterans with disability compensation or pension, 2009
Service-connected disability	3,070,000
Nonservice-connected disability	314,000
Monthly payment in 2010 for—
Service-connected disability
10 percent disability	$123
Total disability	$2,673
Nonservice-connected disability (maximum payment)
Without dependent	$986
With one dependent and in need of aid and attendance	$1,950

Poverty Data

Weighted average poverty thresholds, 2009
Individual, aged 65 or older	$10,289
Couple, householder aged 65 or older	$12,984
Family of four	$21,947
Percentage of population with income below poverty level, 2008
All ages	13.3 percent
Children under age 18 living in families	18.4 percent
Persons aged 65 or older	9.8 percent