FACT SHEET ON THE OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS, AND DISABILITY INSURANCE PROGRAM

A. Beneficiaries in Current-Payment Status, December 31, 2008

Type of benefit Number of
beneficiaries
[In thousands]
Monthly
rate
[In millions]
Average
monthly
amount
Total 50,898 $53,666 a
Retired workers and their family members, total 35,169 38,853 a
Retired workers 32,273 37,207 $1,153
Spouses 2,370 1,348 569
Children 525 298 568
Survivors of deceased workers, total 6,456 6,336 a
Children 1,915 1,427 745
Widowed mothers and fathers with child beneficiaries in their care 160 133 835
Aged widow(er)s, and aged parents 4,152 4,618 1,112
Disabled widow(er)s 230 157 684
Disabled workers and their family members, total 9,274 8,478 a
Disabled workers 7,427 7,896 1,063
Spouses 155 44 285
Children 1,692 537 318
a Since the benefit amounts for workers and for the various types of family members and survivors are based on different proportions of the worker's benefit, average monthly amounts for groups of these different kinds of beneficiaries are not meaningful.

B. Selected Categories of Beneficiaries (Included Above) in
Current-Payment Status, December 31, 2008

Type of benefit Number of
beneficiaries
[In thousands]
Monthly
rate
[In millions]
Disabled beneficiaries (OASDI)—Workers, disabled children aged 18 and over, and disabled widow(er)s 8,529 $8,647
Children (OASDI) 4,132 2,263
Student children 142 92
Disabled children aged 18 and over 871 594
Children under age 18 3,118 1,577
Survivor children and widowed mothers and fathers 2,074 1,560
Beneficiaries aged 62 and over (OASDI) 40,275 44,827
Beneficiaries aged 65 and over (OASDI) 35,819 40,242

C. Average Monthly Family Benefits in
Current-Payment Status, December 31, 2008

Selected family a group Number of
families
[In thousands]
Average
family
benefit
Average
number of
beneficiaries
per family
Retired worker alone 29,570 $1,140 1.000
Retired worker and spouse, aged 62 and over 2,257 1,877 2.000
Disabled worker, spouse under full retirement age, and 1 or more children 73 1,795 3.944
Widowed parent and 2 children 50 2,372 3.000
Children of deceased workerb 1,153 983 1.333
Aged widow(er) alone 3,973 1,112 1.000
a A family means beneficiaries entitled on one worker's account.
b In most cases, the family includes a widowed parent whose benefits are withheld due to earnings.

D. Measures of Protection

  1. Coverage
    About 162 million people will work in OASDI-covered employment in 2009.

    About 94 percent of workers in paid employment and self-employment are covered under the OASDI program.

  2. Benefit receipt among the elderly
    As of December 31, 2008, about 90 percent of the population aged 65 and over were receiving benefits.
  3. Protection for survivors of young workers
    About 97 percent of persons aged 20-49 who worked in covered employment in 2008 have acquired survivorship protection for their children under age 18 (and surviving spouses caring for children under age 16).
  4. Disability protection
    About 91 percent of persons aged 21-64 who worked in covered employment in 2008 can count on monthly cash benefits if they suffer a severe and prolonged disability.

E. Operations of OASI and DI Trust Funds, Combined
[In billions]

Calendar
year
2007
Fiscal
year
2008
Cumulative 1937 through end of —
Calendar year 2007 Fiscal year 2008
Income $784.9 $802.7 $12,253.4 $12,849.4
Contributions 656.1 671.2 10,898.3 11,423.3
Other 128.8 131.5 1,355.1 1,426.1
Expenditures 594.5 617.0 10,014.9 10,483.1
Benefit payments 584.9 607.2 9,806.8 10,266.6
OASI 489.1 503.0 8,532.0 8,912.7
DI 95.9 104.2 1,274.7 1,353.9
Other 9.6 9.8 208.2 216.6
Assets, end of period 2,238.5 2,366.3 2,238.5 2,366.3
Note: Totals may not equal the sums of rounded components.
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