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
- 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.
- Benefit receipt among the elderly
As of December 31, 2008, about 90 percent of the population aged 65 and over were receiving benefits. - 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). - 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. |