Annual Report of the

Supplemental Security Income Program

Social Security Administration

May 1999
..
SOCIAL SECURITY

Office of the Commissioner

May 28, 1999

President William J. Clinton

The White House

Washington, D.C.

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Washington, D.C.

The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr.

President of the Senate

Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen: 

I have the honor of transmitting to you the 1999 Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income

Program (the third such report), in compliance with section 231 of the Personal Responsibility and

Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

Respectfully,

Kenneth S. Apfel

Commissioner

of Social Security

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION BALTIMORE MD 21235-0001
.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public

Law 104-193), the Congress required the Commissioner of Social Security to report annually to the

President and to the Congress on the status of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. A

required element of these reports is to provide projections of program participation and costs through

at least 25 years. This report is the third of such reports, and following are some of its major highlights and findings. 

Highlights of the SSI Program

 • The SSI program is a nationwide Federal assistance program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that guarantees a minimum level of income for needy aged, blind, or

disabled individuals. 

 • In January 1999, 6.3 million individuals received monthly Federal SSI payments averaging

$341. 

 • Federal expenditures for cash payments under the SSI program during calendar year 1998

totaled $27.7 billion, and the cost of administering the SSI program in fiscal year 1998 was

$2.3 billion.

Major Findings of the Report

 • Throughout the 25-year period ending in 2023, the SSI program is estimated to grow largely due

to the overall growth in the U.S. population. By 2023, the Federal SSI recipient population is

estimated to reach 7.3 million. 

 • Expressed as a percentage of the total U.S. population, the number of Federal SSI recipients

increased slightly from its 1997 level of 2.22 percent to 2.23 percent in 1998, and is projected to

remain fairly level at roughly 2.2 percent of the population through 2023. 

 • Federal expenditures for SSI payments in calendar year 1999 are estimated to total $28.6 billion,

an increase of roughly $900 million from 1998 levels.

 • Growth in SSI program outlays during the next 25 years is projected to remain relatively modest. In constant 1999 dollars, the cost of the program is projected to increase to $34.1 billion in

2023. 

 • When compared to the Gross Domestic Product, Federal SSI expenditures are projected to

decline over time, from the current level of 0.33 percent of GDP in 1998 to 0.26 percent of GDP by

2023. 
.
(VII)

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. HIGHLIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A. RECENT PROGRAM EXPERIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

B. SSI LEGISLATION SINCE THE 1998 ANNUAL REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

C. CURRENT ISSUES FACING THE SSI PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

D. KEY RESULTS FROM THE 25-YEAR FORECASTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

III. THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

A. BACKGROUND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

B. THE BASIC PLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

C. UNIFORM STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVE CRITERIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

D. ASSISTANCE OF LAST RESORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1. Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2. Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3. Filing for Other Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4. Eligibility Issues for Residents of Public Institutions or Medical Facilities . . . . . . . . 10

5. Personal Needs Allowance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

6. Deeming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

a. Spouse-to-Spouse Deeming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

b. Parent-to-Child Deeming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

c. Sponsor-to-Alien Deeming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

E. INCENTIVES FOR WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHABILITATION . . . . . . 12

1. Earned Income Exclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2. Impairment-Related Work Expense Exclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3. Work Expenses of the Blind Exclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4. Student Earned Income Exclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5. Plan for Achieving Self-Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

6. Special Provisions for Disabled People Who Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

7. Vocational Rehabilitation Referral/Reimbursement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

F. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SSI PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1. Application Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2. Determinations of Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

3. Representative Payees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Appeal Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5. Attorney Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

6. Advance Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

a. Emergency Advance Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

b. Presumptive Disability or Blindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

G. STATE SUPPLEMENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1. Optional State Supplementary Payment Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2. Mandatory State Supplementary Payment Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3. Administration of State Supplementary Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

4. Mandatory Passalong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

H. COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1. Windfall Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

2. Medicaid Determinations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3. Food Stamp Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4. Interim Assistance Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
(VIII)

IV. ESTIMATES OF PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND FEDERAL EXPENDITURES 

UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM, 1999-2023 . . . . 21

A. ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ASSUMPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

B. NUMBERS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SSI PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

C. FEDERAL PAYMENTS UNDER SSI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

D. FEDERAL SSI PAYMENTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF 

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

E. THE SSI PROGRAM’S SHARE OF SSA’S ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS 

AND BENEFICIARY SERVICES COSTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

V. APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

A. HISTORY OF PROVISIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

1. Basic Eligibility Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

2. Other Eligibility Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

a. Citizenship and Residence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

b. Other Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

c. Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (DA&A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

d. Institutionalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

e. Vocational Rehabilitation and Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

f. Continuing Disability Reviews and Eligibility Redeterminations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

g. Deeming of Income and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

3. Federal Benefit Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

a. Windfall Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

b. Proration of Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

c. Retrospective Monthly Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

d. Uncashed Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

e. Rounding of Payment Amounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

4. Federal Benefit Rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5. Exclusions from Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

a. General Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

b. Special Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

6. Limits and Exclusions from Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

a. General Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

b. Special Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

7. Presumptive and Emergency Payments and Interim Assistance Reimbursement . . 61

a. Presumptive Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

b. Emergency Advance Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

c. Interim Assistance Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

8. Medicaid Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

9. State Supplementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

B. INCOME AND RESOURCE EXCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

1. Earned Income Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

2. Unearned Income Exclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

3. Resource Exclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

C. HISTORICAL ALLOWANCE DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

1. Technical Notes on the Disability Research File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

2. General Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

D. HISTORICAL REDETERMINATION AND 

CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW DATA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

1. Redeterminations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

2. Continuing Disability Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
(IX)

E. INCENTIVES FOR WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHABILITATION . . . . . . 80

1. Work Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

a. Numbers of Participants in Work Incentive Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

b. Average Earnings of Participants in Work Incentive Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

2. Vocational Rehabilitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

F. INVOLVEMENT OF SSI RECIPIENTS IN OTHER PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

G. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RESEARCH ON RELATED TOPICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

1. Research Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

a. Policy Evaluation of the Effects of the 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation 

on SSI Benefits for Children with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

b. Design and Implementation of Survey of Children with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . 85

c. Policy Evaluation of the Overall Effects of Welfare Reform on 

SSA Programs—Phase I Evaluation Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

d. Project NetWork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

e. State Partnership Return-to-Work Demonstrations—Design and 

Implementation of the Net Outcomes Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

2. Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

H. GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD
.
(XI)

TABLES

III.H1 SSI State Supplementation and Coordination with Other Programs . . . . . . 20

IV.A1 Historical and Estimated Population in the Social Security Area 

as Projected for the Intermediate Assumptions of the 

1999 OASDI Trustees Report, as of July 1, 1974-2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

IV.A2 Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments and Federal Benefit Rates 

Estimated on the Basis of the Intermediate Assumptions of the 

1999 OASDI Trustees Report, 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

IV.B1 SSI Federally-Administered Applications, Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . . . 25

IV.B2 SSI Federally-Administered New Entrants, Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . 27

IV.B3 SSI Federally-Administered Terminations Due to Death, 

Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

IV.B4 SSI Federally-Administered Terminations Due to Reasons 

Other Than Death, Calendar Years 1974-2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

IV.B5 SSI Federally-Administered Terminations for All Reasons, 

Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

IV.B6 SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status 

as of December, 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

IV.B7 SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status 

as a Percentage of Selected Social Security Area Population Totals, 

as of December, 1975-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

IV.B8 SSI Recipients with Federally-Administered State Supplementary 

Benefits Only, in Current-Payment Status as of 

December, 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

IV.B9 SSI Recipients with Federally-Administered Benefits in 

Current-Payment Status as of December, 1974-2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

IV.C1 SSI Federal Payments in Current Dollars, Calendar Years 1974-99 . . . . . . 38

IV.C2 SSI Federal Payments in Current Dollars, Fiscal Years 1978-99 . . . . . . . . . 39

IV.C3 SSI Federal Payments in Constant 1999 Dollars, 

Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

IV.C4 SSI Federally-Administered State Supplementary Payments in 

Current Dollars, Calendar Years 1974-98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

IV.C5 SSI State-Administered Payments in Current Dollars, 

Calendar Years 1974-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

IV.D1 SSI Federal Payments as a Percentage of GDP, 

Calendar Years 1974-2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

IV.E1 Selected SSI Administrative Costs, Fiscal Years 1978-99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
(XII)

V.A1 Federal Benefit Rates Set by Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

V.C1 Disabled Adult Claims: Disposition of Applications for 

SSI Disability Benefits by Year of Filing and Level of Decision . . . . . . . . . . 72

V.C2 Disabled Child Claims: Disposition of Applications for 

SSI Disability Benefits by Year of Filing and Level of Decision . . . . . . . . . . 73

V.D1 SSI Redeterminations Completed, Fiscal Years 1986-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

V.D2 SSI Disabled Adult Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability 

Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of Initial Decision and Level of Decision . . 76

V.D3 SSI Disabled Child Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability 

Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of Initial Decision and Level of Decision . . 78

V.E1 SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Working Recipients 

as of December, 1987-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

V.E2 SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Individuals with 

SSI Recipient Status Participating in Other Work Incentives 

as of December, 1990-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

V.E3 Average Monthly Earnings of SSI Federally-Administered Blind or

Disabled Working Recipients, as of December, 1987-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

V.E4 Vocational Rehabilitation Reimbursement Claims Allowed, 

Fiscal Years 1987-98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
(XIII)

FIGURES

IV.B1 SSI Federally-Administered Applications by Age Group, 

Calendar Years 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

IV.B2 SSI Federally-Administered New Entrants by Age Group, 

Calendar Years 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

IV.B3 SSI Federally-Administered Terminations by Age Group, 

Calendar Years 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

IV.B4 SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status, 

by Age Group, as of December, 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

IV.B5 SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status 

as a Percentage of Selected Social Security Area Population Age Groups, 

as of December, 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

IV.C1 SSI Federal Payments, by Age Group, in Constant 1999 Dollars, 

Calendar Years 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

IV.D1 SSI Federal Payments, by Age Group, as a Percentage of GDP, 

Calendar Years 1980-2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

V.E1 SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Working Recipients 

as of December, 1987-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
.
1

I. INTRODUCTION

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program was established by Congress in 1972, 1 with payments beginning 25 years ago in January 1974, and is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSI replaced the former Federal-State programs of Old-Age Assistance (OAA), Aid to

the Blind (AB), and Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled (APTD) in the 50 States and the

District of Columbia. Residents of the Northern Mariana Islands became eligible for SSI in January

1978. Under the SSI program, each eligible person living in his/her own household and having no

other countable income is provided, as of January 1999, a monthly Federal cash payment of $500

($751 for a couple if both members are eligible). Since 1975, these Federal SSI benefit rates have been

increased to reflect changes in the cost of living at the same time, and by the same percentage, as

have benefits under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. In addition

to setting a Federal benefit standard, the legislation establishing SSI also permitted individual

States to supplement the Federal payment with an additional monthly amount. As described in section III, these State supplementation payments can be either voluntary at the option of the individual

States or, in certain cases, mandatory under a requirement in the original SSI legislation.

Under section 231 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996

(Public Law 104-193), the Commissioner of Social Security is required to submit a report on the SSI

program to the President and Congress. Such report is to be submitted annually no later than May 30

of each year. Pursuant to this legislative mandate, this is the third in a series of such annual reports

on the SSI program. The legislative mandate is very detailed concerning certain types of information

about SSI that should be provided in the report. More specifically, section 231 requires that the report

include:

 • A comprehensive description of the SSI program;

 • Historical and current data relating to (1) claims intake and dispositions at all levels of decision

making; (2) demographic information about recipients, including program cost and prior enrollment in other public benefit programs; (3) redeterminations, continuing disability reviews, and

utilization of work incentives; (4) administrative costs; and (5) State supplementation program

operations; 

 • 25-year projections of future participation rates and program costs; 

 • An historical summary of statutory changes to title XVI of the Social Security Act; and

 • Summaries of any relevant research on the SSI program by SSA or others.

In addition, the legislation specified that the report may include views of the SSI program by individual members of the Social Security Advisory Board, if so desired by any such Board member, or a

joint report if one is agreed upon by the Board.

As discussed in the previous SSI Annual Reports, much of the required information is the subject of

extensive ongoing research. For example, while historical program data are available from summaries of administrative records and have previously been published in a number of documents, many of

the required subcategory totals have not always been collected on a consistent basis. To provide the

detailed data for this report, extensive work was necessary to prepare retrospective estimates based

on existing historical totals. Furthermore, except for the 75-year projections prepared for the OASDI 2

and Medicare 3 Trustees Reports, most routine forecasts for government programs extend only

5-10 years into the future for use in connection with the President’s Budget. Thus, mathematical

 1 Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30, 1972.

 2 The 1999 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OldAge and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds, issued

March 30, 1999.

 3 The 1999 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the 1999 Annual Report of the Board of

Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, issued March 30, 1999.
1999 SSI Annual Report

2

models capable of projecting SSI program costs 25 years into the future did not exist at the time of

the enactment of Public Law 104-193. For purposes of the longer-range forecasts required in this

report, SSA’s Office of the Chief Actuary has begun a program of research and model development in

an effort to enhance these 25-year forecasts. Furthermore, the Office of Research, Evaluation, and

Statistics has begun an extensive project to analyze and validate historical data for the SSI program.

The 1999 Annual Report represents the first stage of that model development process. Future editions of this report will reflect the results of our ongoing efforts in both these areas.

In responding to each of the specific requests for information, every effort has been made to provide

the best information available at this time. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, it is expected

that in future versions of this annual report improvements will continue to be made upon such information, in order to provide the President and Congress with the input necessary to effectively manage this important part of our society’s social safety net.

In broad outline, the contents of the remainder of this report are as follows:

 • Section II presents highlights of recent SSI program experience, a summary of important

changes to the program in the last year, a discussion of current issues facing the SSI program,

and a summary of the key results from the 25-year forecasts.

 • Section III contains a comprehensive description of the SSI program.

 • Section IV presents the details of our 25-year forecasts of SSI program participation and expenditures.

 • Section V contains a series of technical appendices responding to each of the remaining legislative mandates for information about SSI. 
3

1999 SSI Annual Report

II. HIGHLIGHTS

A brief history of the SSI program is presented in section III, including descriptions of the eligibility

criteria and other features of the program, and rationales for why some of those provisions were

included in the SSI statute. Another aspect of this picture, however, is an indication of how SSI

affects the individuals it is intended to serve and the cost of paying these benefits, along with a discussion of current issues facing SSA in administering the program.

A. RECENT PROGRAM EXPERIENCE

SSI program experience during the past year included the following:

 • On average during calendar year 1998, 6.3 million aged, blind, or disabled individuals received

Federal SSI benefits on a monthly basis. An estimated 7.0 million aged, blind, or disabled individuals received at least 1 month’s Federal SSI benefit during the year.

 • Federal expenditures for cash payments under the SSI program during calendar year 1998

totaled $27.7 billion.

 • On average during calendar year 1998, 2.4 million aged, blind, or disabled individuals received

Federally-administered State supplementary payments on a monthly basis. An estimated

2.7 million individuals received at least 1 month’s Federally-administered State supplementary

payment during calendar year 1998.

 • State expenditures for Federally-administered supplements during calendar year 1998 totaled

$3.0 billion, excluding fees for Federal administration.

 • The cost of administering the SSI program in fiscal year 1998 was $2.3 billion.

B. SSI LEGISLATION SINCE THE 1998 ANNUAL REPORT

In comparison to the significant legislative changes made in the SSI program during 1996 and 1997,

the legislative changes made in 1998 were less wide ranging in that they affected only a relatively

small number of individuals.

Eligibility for Noncitizens.—Public Law 105-3061 included a provision that continued SSI eligibility for certain noncitizens, as part of an effort to maintain such eligibility which began in 1997 with

the enactment of Public Law 105-33. 2 The 1998 legislation permanently extended the SSI eligibility

of all “nonqualified aliens” who were receiving SSI when the 1996 welfare reform legislation was

enacted, provided all other SSI eligibility criteria continue to be met. 3 

Exclusion of Certain Gifts Made to Children.—Public Law 105-306 also included a provision that

excludes from determinations of SSI eligibility and benefit amounts any in-kind gifts not converted to

cash and the first $2,000 annually of cash gifts made by tax-exempt organizations to, or for the benefit of, individuals under age 18 with life-threatening conditions.

Recovery of SSI Overpayments from Social Security Benefits.—Another provision in

Public Law 105-306 authorized SSA to collect SSI overpayments by offsetting Social Security benefits, with a maximum monthly offset of no more than 10 percent of the amount of Social Security benefits payable in that month.

 1 The “Noncitizen Benefit Clarification and Other Technical Amendments Act of 1998,” enacted October 28, 1998.

 2 The “Balanced Budget Act of 1997,” enacted August 5, 1997.

 3 Public Law 104-193, the “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996,” enacted August 22, 1996.
1999 SSI Annual Report

4

Exclusion of Certain Amounts in Individual Development Accounts.—Title IV of

Public Law 105-285 1 established the Individual Development Account (IDA) demonstration project

under which low-income individuals, including SSI recipients, may establish accounts in financial

institutions that can be used for certain purposes such as purchasing a first home, meeting costs of

college, and capitalizing a business. Funds deposited by individuals into IDAs are matched by governmental and nonprofit agencies participating in the demonstration. For SSI purposes, these matching funds are excluded in determining eligibility and benefit amount.

Exclusion of Payments Made Under Hemophilia Fund.—Public Law 105-369 2 excluded payments made under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998 from income and resources in

determining SSI eligibility and benefit amounts.

C. CURRENT ISSUES FACING THE SSI PROGRAM

SSA continues to face challenges in administering the complex provisions of the SSI program. 3 In an

effort to deal with these challenges, the Commissioner has undertaken a major initiative to consolidate the effects of recent successful efforts to deal with problems of SSI administration, and to provide a coordinated vision for the future of the SSI program. In attempting to address issues of SSI

administration, it is essential to recognize that SSI is a very important program that provides nearly

6.6 million aged, blind, and disabled individuals with basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter.

These individuals are among the most vulnerable Americans, who have little in the way of income or

resources. For them, SSI is truly the program of last resort and is the safety net that protects them

from complete impoverishment. Nevertheless, SSA in its stewardship role for the SSI program has an

equally important responsibility to assure that limited government resources are spent appropriately.

Therefore, SSA has developed a comprehensive long-term approach to (1) improve SSI payment accuracy, (2) step up efforts to verify continuing disability eligibility, (3) expand opportunities for disabled

recipients to return to work, (4) address the SSI program’s potential vulnerability to fraud, and

(5) enhance our overpayment recovery efforts. This multifaceted approach to improving SSA’s administration of the SSI program remains one of the agency’s highest priorities; it is described in detail in

the Commissioner’s report, “Management of the Supplemental Security Income Program: Today and

in the Future,” which was issued in October 1998.

In developing the initiatives for improved administration of the SSI program, it became clear that

legislation is necessary to help address issues in the five identified areas. To this end, the Commissioner sent the “Supplemental Security Income Program Integrity Act of 1998” to Congress last

May. 4 The President’s Fiscal Year 2000 Budget request includes the same proposals that were in

SSA’s 1998 draft bill. These proposals would:

 • Expand the pool of data available to SSA for making eligibility and payment determinations,

 • Assess penalties on individuals who misstate or withhold material facts as part of an eligibility

or payment amount determination, 

 • Assess penalties on individuals who dispose of assets at less than fair market value in order to

become eligible for SSI payments, and

 • Provide SSA with additional overpayment recovery tools.

In addition, SSA’s policy on the treatment of assets placed in trusts would be similar to current Medicaid trust policy.

 1 The “Assets for Independence Act” enacted October 27, 1998.

 2 Enacted November 12, 1998.

 3 For example, in February 1997, the General Accounting Office (GAO) designated the SSI program as a high-risk area, citing concerns in

three broad programmatic areas: (1) financial eligibility, (2) continuing disability eligibility, and (3) return-to-work. Another GAO “high-risk”

report on the SSI program citing the same areas was issued in January 1999.

 4 Although the bill was not taken up by the 105th Congress, there is interest in the 106th Congress in SSI management improvements.
5

1999 SSI Annual Report

In the area of expanding work opportunities for disabled SSI recipients, the President’s Fiscal

Year 2000 Budget includes funds to begin implementation of a return-to-work program which will

help remove barriers to work for these recipients. The Administration supports current efforts to

enact pending legislation that would result in:

 • More opportunities for recipients to receive the vocational rehabilitation and employment services they need in order to work,

 • Continued health benefits when they return to work, and

 • An expedited process to return to the disability rolls if they are unable to keep working because

of their impairment.

D. KEY RESULTS FROM THE 25-YEAR FORECASTS

The major findings in the 25-year forecasts prepared for this report are summarized below:

 • Following recent declines in the SSI recipient population due to the combined impact of Public

Law 104-121 and Public Law 104-193, modest growth in the SSI rolls resumed in 1998, and is

expected to continue throughout the projection period largely due to the growth in the U.S. population. By 2023, the Federal SSI recipient population is estimated to reach 7.3 million. Expressed

as a percentage of the total U.S. population, the number of Federal SSI recipients is projected to

remain fairly level at roughly 2.2 percent of the population through 2023. 

 • Federal expenditures for SSI payments in calendar year 1999 are estimated to total $28.6 billion,

an increase of roughly $900 million from 1998 levels. In order to provide estimates of future

expenditures under the SSI program over 25 years which can be meaningfully compared, projections of Federal SSI expenditures are presented in constant 1999 dollars. Expressed in these

terms, growth in SSI program outlays during the next 25 years is projected to remain relatively

modest, roughly in line with overall growth in the U.S. population. In constant 1999 dollars, the

cost of the program is projected to increase to $34.1 billion in 2023. 

 • Furthermore, when compared to the Gross Domestic Product, Federal SSI expenditures are projected to decline over time, from the current level of 0.33 percent of GDP in 1998 to 0.26 percent

of GDP by 2023.
1999 SSI Annual Report

6

III. THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM 

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a nationwide Federal assistance program

administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that guarantees a minimum level of

income for needy aged, blind, or disabled individuals. In January 1999, 6.6 million individuals

received Federally-administered monthly SSI benefits 1 averaging $367.

A. BACKGROUND

Entitlement programs for the aged, blind, or disabled have their roots in the original Social Security

Act of 1935. That Act established an old-age social insurance program to be administered by the Federal Government and an old-age means-tested assistance program to be administered by the States.

Similar programs for the blind or disabled were added to the Act in later years. Means-tested assistance was intended to supplement the incomes of individuals who were either ineligible for Social

Security or whose benefits could not provide a basic living.

This means-tested assistance—also known as categorical adult assistance—actually comprised three

separate programs—Old-Age Assistance (OAA), Aid to the Blind (AB), and Aid to the Permanently

and Totally Disabled (APTD). Despite substantial Federal financing, these programs were essentially

State programs; Federal law established only broad guidelines and assistance. Federal financing was

open-ended in the sense that the Federal Government would provide matching funds to support

whatever payment levels the States established. Federal law specified no maximum or minimum

standards. Consequently, each State was responsible for deciding its own standards for determining

who would get assistance and how much they would get. As a result, there were differing eligibility

requirements and variations of payment levels from State to State.

Beginning in the early 1960s, this State-operated, Federally-assisted welfare system drew criticism

from within and outside of government. Some of the criticism was directed at the “crazy quilt” eligibility requirements and payment levels. Other criticism centered on specific requirements, such as

lien laws and provisions that required certain relatives to bear responsibility for the maintenance of

needy family members. The disparity in the degree of Federal financial support provided States also

was an acknowledged problem.

Responding to these concerns, Congress passed and the President approved the SSI program

(Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30, 1972), which reversed the historic Federal and State roles

with regard to adult assistance. Under the new arrangement, SSI would provide a uniform Federal

income floor while optional State programs supplemented that floor. The new program was historic in

that it shifted from the States to the Federal Government the responsibility for determining who

receives assistance and how much assistance they would receive. 

B. THE BASIC PLAN

The main objective of the SSI program is to provide the basic cash support of needy aged, blind, or

disabled individuals. Congress designed the SSI program based on the following principles:

 • Eligibility requirements and benefit standards that are nationally uniform and eligibility determinations based on objective criteria;

 • An assistance source of last resort for the aged, blind, or disabled whose income and resources

are below specified levels;

 • Incentives and opportunities for those recipients able to work or to be rehabilitated that would

enable them to reduce their dependency on public assistance;

 1 Including Federally-administered State supplementary payments.
7

1999 SSI Annual Report

 • An efficient and economical method of providing assistance;

 • Inducements to encourage States to provide supplementation of the basic Federal benefit and

protection for former recipients of State adult assistance programs who were converted to the

SSI program; and

 • Appropriate coordination of the SSI program with the food stamp, medical assistance, and other

programs.

Although SSI has undergone several significant changes since its enactment in 1972, these principles

have been retained. The following description of the SSI program is organized according to the originating principles.

C. UNIFORM STANDARDS AND OBJECTIVE CRITERIA

Prior to the SSI program, aged, blind, or disabled individuals may or may not have been eligible for

Federally-funded adult assistance depending on the State in which they lived. Benefit amounts also

varied from State to State. The SSI program replaced the State-run programs of assistance with a

program having nationally uniform standards and objective eligibility criteria. These standards

include:

 • A uniform limitation on the dollar amount or value of income and resources that an individual

can have and still qualify for Federal assistance. Effective January 1, 1999, the countable income

limit for individuals is $500 a month and $751 a month for eligible couples. The resource limit is

$2,000 in countable resources for individuals and $3,000 for couples.

 • Sixty-five as the minimum age limit for assistance based on age.

 • A uniform definition of disability and blindness. The definitions for individuals 18 or older are

the same as those used for the Social Security Disability Insurance program. In order to be considered disabled, an individual must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to last or has lasted at least 12 continuous months or result in death and

(1) if 18 or older prevents him/her from doing any substantial gainful activity 1 or (2) if under 18

results in marked and severe functional limitations. 2 However, individuals for whom addiction

to drugs or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the determination of their disabilities

are not eligible for benefits. 3 In order to be considered blind, an individual must have central

visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens or have tunnel

vision of 20 degrees or less.

 • Uniform standards for citizenship and residency. In order to be eligible for SSI, an individual

must be a citizen (or national) of the United States, an American Indian born outside the United

States who is under section 289 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or who is a

member of a Federally recognized Indian tribe under section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, a noncitizen who was receiving SSI benefits on

August 22, 1996, or be a qualified alien in one of the following categories: 4 

 1 “Substantial gainful activity” (SGA) is used to describe a level of work activity that is both substantial—i.e., involves the performance of significant physical and/or mental duties which are productive—and gainful—i.e., performed for remuneration or profit. Generally earnings from work

activity of over $500 a month is evidence of ability to engage in SGA. If an SSI applicant is earning over $500 a month, he/she generally would not

be considered disabled. However, if an SSI recipient is earning over $500 a month, he/she could continue to be eligible for SSI. (See “Incentives for

Work and Opportunities for Rehabilitation” section III.E.) Effective July 1, 1999, the $500 amount will be increased to $700 (64 FR 18566).

 2 The definition of disability and blindness for individuals under age 18 reflects amendments made by Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Prior to this, the law required a medically determinable physical or mental impairment

of comparable severity to that required for individuals 18 or older.

 3 This provision reflects amendments made by Public Law 104-121, the Senior Citizens’ Right to Work Act of 1996, enacted March 29, 1996.

 4 These standards reflect amendments made by Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of

1996 as amended by Public Law 104-208 and Public Law 105-33. Prior to this, the law permitted SSI eligibility for individuals who were residents

of the United States and—citizens or nationals of the United States; aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; or

aliens permanently residing in the United States under color of law.
1999 SSI Annual Report

8

— Certain noncitizens who are blind or disabled and were lawfully residing in the United States

on August 22, 1996;

— Refugees (eligibility limited to the 7-year period after their arrival in the United States);

— Asylees (eligibility limited to the 7-year period after the date they are granted asylum);

— Noncitizens who have had their deportations withheld under section 243(h) of the INA as in

effect prior to April 1, 1997, or who have had their removals withheld under section 241(b)(3)

of the INA (eligibility limited to the 7-year period after the date that deportation or removal

is withheld);

— Cuban and Haitian entrants under section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act

of 1980 (eligibility limited to the 7-year period after the date that entrant status is granted);

— Amerasian immigrants admitted pursuant to section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export

Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988, and subsequent amendments

(eligibility limited to the 7-year period after their arrival in the United States);

— Noncitizen active duty Armed Forces personnel, honorably discharged veterans, and their

spouses and dependent children; or

— Lawful permanent residents who earn, or can be credited (from their spouses or parents)

with, 40 qualifying quarters of earnings.

Note: Qualified alien status includes noncitizens who have been battered or subjected to extreme

cruelty in the United States by a spouse or parent (or a member of the spouse’s or parent’s family) with whom they live, and who have an approved petition, or have a petition pending, setting

forth a prima facie case for adjustment of their immigration status. However, to be eligible to

receive SSI benefits, these noncitizens also must be in one of the categories listed above.

In addition to having to be a U.S. citizen (or national) or in one of the potentially eligible noncitizen categories, an individual must reside in the 50 States, the District of Columbia or the Northern Mariana Islands. An individual also must be physically present in the United States 1 for

30 consecutive days, if he/she had been outside of the United States for 30 or more consecutive

days. 

There are two exceptions to the residency and physical presence requirements: 

— Blind or disabled children who are citizens of the United States may continue to be eligible

for payments if they are living outside the United States with a parent who is on duty as a

member of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

— Students studying abroad for not more than 1 year also may continue to be eligible for payments if the studies are sponsored by a U.S. educational institution but cannot be conducted

in the United States.

D. ASSISTANCE OF LAST RESORT

As a means-tested program, SSI takes account of all income and resources that an individual has or

can obtain. The amount of an individual’s countable income and resources are the measure of his/her

need for assistance.

 1 Fifty States, the District of Columbia or the Northern Mariana Islands.
9

1999 SSI Annual Report

1. Income 

The amount of an individual’s income is used to determine both eligibility for, and amount of, his/her

SSI benefit. As countable income increases, an individual’s SSI benefit amount decreases. Generally,

ineligibility for SSI occurs when countable income equals the Federal benefit rate plus the amount of

applicable Federally-administered State supplementary payment (State supplementation is discussed later).

The monthly Federal benefit rate (currently $500 for an individual; $751 for an eligible couple) is

reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of the individual’s “countable” income—i.e., income less all

applicable exclusions. Countable income is determined on a calendar month basis. The result of this

computation determines SSI eligibility and the amount of the benefit payable. These benefit rates are

adjusted annually (in January) to reflect changes in the cost of living. 

When an individual lives in the household of another and receives support and maintenance in kind

(i.e., generally room and board) from the householder, the Federal SSI benefit rate is reduced by

one-third in lieu of counting the actual value of the support and maintenance as unearned income.

The value of food, clothing, or shelter-related items the individual receives in kind from persons other

than the householder (including in-kind assistance from outside the household in which he/she lives)

is counted as unearned income. However, the amount that is countable is limited to an amount equal

to one-third of the applicable Federal benefit rate plus $20 ($186.66 in 1999). 

SSI law defines two kinds of income—earned and unearned. Earned income is wages, net earnings

from self-employment, remuneration for work in a sheltered workshop, royalties on published work,

and honoraria for services. All other income is unearned. The distinction between earned and

unearned income is significant because different exclusions apply to each type of income. 

However, not everything an individual receives is considered to be income. Generally, if the item

received cannot be used as, or to obtain, food, clothing, or shelter, it will not be considered as income.

For example, if someone pays an individual’s medical bills, or offers free medical care, or if the individual receives money from a social services agency that is a repayment of an amount he/she previously spent, that value is not considered income to the individual. In addition, some items that are

considered to be income are excluded when determining the amount of an individual’s benefit.

Income Exclusions 1 

The principal earned income exclusions are: 

 • The first $65 per month plus one-half of the remainder, 

 • Impairment-related work expenses of the disabled and work expenses of the blind, 

 • Income set aside or being used to pursue a plan for achieving self-support by a disabled or blind

individual, and 

 • Infrequent or irregularly received income ($10 or less a month). 

The principal unearned income exclusions are: 

 • The first $20 per month, 2 

 • Income set aside or being used to pursue a plan for achieving self-support by a disabled or blind

individual, 

 • State or locally funded assistance based on need, 

 • Rent subsidies under HUD programs and the value of food stamps, and 

 • Infrequent or irregularly received income ($20 or less a month). 

 1 A complete list of the SSI income exclusions can be found in section V.B.

 2 Any portion of this $20 amount not used to exclude unearned income may be used to exclude earned income.
1999 SSI Annual Report

10

2. Resources 

The amounts of individuals’ resources are used to determine whether they are eligible for SSI in any

given month. SSI law states that eligibility is restricted to individuals who have countable resources

(determined on a monthly basis) not exceeding $2,000, or $3,000 in the case of couples, but does not

define what resources are. The law does stipulate what items are to be excluded from resources. 

Regulations stipulate that a resource is cash or other liquid asset or any real or personal property

that individuals (or their spouses) own and could convert to cash to be used for their support and

maintenance. This definition is consistent with the general philosophy of the SSI program that only

items that can be used for an individual’s food, clothing or shelter should be used in determining

his/her eligibility and benefit amount. Not all resources an individual owns are counted. The value of

an item may be totally excluded or counted only to the extent that its value exceeds specified limits.

Resource Exclusions 1 

The principal resource exclusions are:

 • The home and land appertaining to it, regardless of value;

 • Life insurance policies whose total face value does not exceed $1,500;

 • Burial funds not in excess of $1,500 (plus accrued interest);

 • Household goods and personal effects in which one’s equity does not exceed $2,000;

 • An automobile depending upon its use, otherwise, the current market value not in excess of

$4,500;

 • Property essential to income producing activity; and 

 • Resources set aside to fulfill a plan to achieve self-support.

3. Filing for Other Benefits 

As the “program of last resort,” SSI benefits are provided to eligible individuals only to the extent

that their needs are not met by other sources. That is, after evaluating all other income and

resources, SSI pays what is necessary to bring an individual to the statutorily prescribed income

“floor.” In keeping with this principle, SSI law requires that SSI applicants file for other payments for

which they may be entitled, such as annuities, pensions, retirement or disability benefits, worker’s

compensation, and unemployment insurance benefits. 

SSA must provide an individual with written notice of potential eligibility for other benefits and of

the requirement to take all appropriate steps to pursue these benefits. The individual has 30 days

from receipt of the notice to file for the benefits involved. 

4. Eligibility Issues for Residents of Public Institutions or Medical Facilities 

State and local governments—rather than the Federal Government—traditionally have taken the

financial responsibility for residents of their public institutions. The SSI program continues this

long-standing public assistance policy. People who are residents of public institutions for a full calendar month are generally ineligible for SSI unless one of the following exceptions applies: 

 • The public institution is a medical treatment facility and Medicaid pays more than 50 percent of

the cost of care, or in the case of a child under age 18, Medicaid and/or private health insurance

pays more than 50 percent of the cost of care;

 1 A complete list of the SSI resource exclusions can be found in section V.B.
11

1999 SSI Annual Report

 • The public institution is a publicly operated community residence which serves no more than

16 residents; 

 • The public institution is an emergency shelter for the homeless (payments are limited to no more

than 6 months in any 9-month period);

 • The recipient was eligible under section 1619(a) or (b) for the month preceding the first full

month in the public institution and is permitted by the institution to retain any benefits (payable

for up to 2 months); or

 • A physician certifies that the recipient’s stay in a medical facility is likely not to exceed 3 months

and continued SSI eligibility is needed to maintain and provide for the expenses of the home to

which the individual will return.

5. Personal Needs Allowance 

When individuals enter medical treatment facilities in which more than half of the bill is paid by the

Medicaid program, their monthly Federal payment standard is generally reduced to $30, beginning

with the first full calendar month they are in the facility. In the case of an individual under age 18,

the $30 payment standard is also applicable if more than half of the bill is paid by private insurance

or a combination of Medicaid and private insurance. The theory behind this provision is that the individual’s basic needs are being met by the medical facility. In these cases, the SSI program provides up

to $30 a month, which is intended to take care of small comfort items not provided by the institution. 

6. Deeming 

In certain situations the income and resources of others are counted in determining whether an individual’s income and resources fall below the levels established by law. This process is called “deeming” and is applied in cases where an eligible individual lives with an ineligible spouse, an eligible

child lives with an ineligible parent, or an eligible noncitizen has a sponsor. 1 In concept, the practice

takes into account the responsibility of the spouse, parent, or sponsor to provide for the basic needs of

the eligible individual. 

a. Spouse-to-Spouse Deeming 

When an eligible individual lives in the same household with a spouse who is not eligible for SSI, the

ineligible spouse’s income and resources are deemed to be available to the eligible individual. In

determining the amount of income and resources available to the eligible individual, all applicable

exclusions are used. In addition, a living allowance is provided for the ineligible spouse, as well as

any ineligible children under age 21 living in the household. The allowance reduces the amount of

income to be deemed. Spouse-to-spouse deeming is intended to result in the same amount of income

available to the couple as would be available if both members of the couple were aged, blind, or disabled and eligible for SSI. 

Deeming does not apply when the eligible individual is not living in the same household as the ineligible spouse. However, if the ineligible spouse’s absence is temporary or is due solely to an active duty

assignment as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, deeming would continue to apply. 

 1 Deeming also applies to an individual who lives with an essential person (a concept carried over from the former State assistance plans). However, there are fewer than 100 of these cases remaining.
1999 SSI Annual Report

12

b. Parent-to-Child Deeming 

A child under age 18 is subject to deeming from an ineligible natural or adoptive parent (and that

parent’s spouse, if any) living in the same household. Certain amounts of the parent’s income are

excluded, living allowances are provided for the parent(s) and an allocation is set aside for each ineligible child under age 21 who is living in the household. Deeming from an eligible parent to a child

would continue if the parent is absent from the household but the absence is temporary or is due

solely to active duty assignment as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. If a child lives in a household

in which all members are receiving public assistance benefits, that child is not considered to be

receiving any support and deeming would not apply. 

c. Sponsor-to-Alien Deeming 

The income and resources of noncitizens are deemed to include those of their sponsors. The way the

income and resources are deemed and the length of the deeming period depend on whether the sponsor signed a legally enforceable affidavit of support 1 or the previous version of the affidavit. Generally, individuals who entered the country before 1998 did so under the old version of the affidavit. 2 

Under the old version of the affidavit, deeming of the sponsor’s income and resources lasts until the

noncitizen has been in the United States for 3 years. 3 Living allowances equal to the Federal benefit

rate are provided for the sponsor, and allowances equal to one-half of the Federal benefit rate are provided for each of the sponsor’s dependents. Allowances are also provided for the sponsor and his/her

family members in determining deemed resources. These allowances reduce the amount of the sponsor’s income and resources deemed to the noncitizen.

For noncitizens admitted into the country under legally enforceable affidavits of support, deeming

generally applies until the noncitizens become U.S. citizens. Unlike spouse-to-spouse, parent-to-child,

and three-year sponsor-to-alien deeming, all countable income and resources of the sponsor or his/her

spouse are deemed to the noncitizen. 4 

For noncitizens who were admitted into the United States under a legally enforceable affidavit of

support, deeming ends before citizenship if the noncitizen has earned, or can be credited with,

40 qualifying quarters of earnings. Children and spouses of workers may be credited with quarters

earned by the worker. A quarter otherwise earned after 1996 does not count as one of the required 40

if the noncitizen or worker received Federal means-tested public benefits during the relevant period. 

Also for this group of noncitizens, deeming does not apply for specified periods if the noncitizens or

their children or parents have been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty while in the United

States or if sponsors leave the noncitizens indigent by not providing them with sufficient support. 

E. INCENTIVES FOR WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHABILITATION

SSI benefits provide a basic level of assistance for individuals who are blind or disabled with limited

earnings ability due to their impairments. Nonetheless, for recipients who want to work, the SSI program is designed to encourage and support their work attempts in order to help them achieve greater

degrees of independence. SSI includes a number of work incentive provisions that enable recipients

who are blind or disabled to work and retain benefits or to increase their levels of work activity without the loss of SSI disability status or Medicaid. These incentives provide higher amounts of income

or resource exclusions as recognition of the expenses associated with working or as inducements to

seek rehabilitation services and support for work efforts. 

 1 Legally enforceable affidavits of support are required by Public Law 104-208.

 2 The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) began using the new, legally enforceable affidavits on December 19, 1997. However, if a

potential immigrant had a visa issued before that date, the sponsor would sign an old affidavit even if the affidavit was signed after

December 19, 1997.

 3 For a temporary period—January 1994 through September 1996—the deeming period was 5 years.

 4 For example, no living allowances are provided for the sponsor or the sponsor’s family.
13

1999 SSI Annual Report

1. Earned Income Exclusion 

The first $65 ($85 if the individual has no income other than earnings) of any monthly earned income

plus one-half of remaining earnings are excluded for SSI benefit computation purposes. This general

earned income exclusion is intended to help offset expenses incurred when working. It assures that

SSI recipients who are working will be rewarded for their efforts by having greater total income than

those who do not work.

2. Impairment-Related Work Expense Exclusion 

The cost of certain impairment-related services and items that a disabled (but not blind) individual

needs in order to work are excluded from earned income in determining monthly countable income. 

In calculating these expenses, amounts equal to the costs of certain attendant care services, medical

devices, equipment, prostheses and similar items and services are deductible from earnings. The

costs of routine drugs and routine medical services are not deductible unless these drugs and services

are necessary to control the disabling condition. 

3. Work Expenses of the Blind Exclusion 

The work expense provision for individuals who are blind is more liberal than the impairment-related

work expense provision for individuals who are disabled. Any earned income that a blind individual

uses to meet expenses relating to work is not counted in determining SSI eligibility and benefit

amounts.

A deductible expense need not be directly related to the worker’s blindness; it need only be an ordinary and necessary work expense of the worker. Some frequently excluded work expenses include

transportation to and from work, meals consumed during work hours, job equipment, licenses,

income or FICA taxes, and costs of job training. 

4. Student Earned Income Exclusion 

The student earned income exclusion is an additional exclusion for an individual who is neither married nor the head of a household, under age 22 and regularly attending school. It is intended to help

defray the cost of educational training. Under current regulations, up to $400 of earned income per

month but no more than $1,620 per year may be excluded. 

5. Plan for Achieving Self-Support 

A plan for achieving self-support (PASS) allows a disabled or blind individual to set aside income and

resources to get a specific type of job or to start a business. This may involve setting aside funds for

education or vocational training. Funds can even be set aside to purchase work-related equipment or

pay for transportation related to the work goal. The income and resources that are set aside are

excluded under the SSI income and resources tests. 

The individual must have a feasible work goal, a specific savings or spending plan, and must provide

for a clearly identifiable accounting for the funds which are set aside. The PASS also must be

approved by SSA. The individual must then follow the plan and negotiate revisions as needed. SSA

monitors the plans once approved by reviewing them periodically to ensure the individual’s progress

towards attaining the work goal. 

6. Special Provisions for Disabled People Who Work 

This work incentive generally is referred to by its section number in the Social Security Act, section

1619. Under section 1619(a), disabled individuals who would cease to be eligible because of earnings

over the substantial gainful activity limit can receive special cash benefits as long as they:
1999 SSI Annual Report

14

 • Continue to have the disabling condition,

 • Have income under the amount which would cause ineligibility for any payment under SSI

income counting rules, and

 • Meet all other nondisability requirements for SSI payment.

In many States, being a recipient of the special benefit permits the individual to be eligible for Medicaid benefits.

Under section 1619(b), “SSI recipient” status for Medicaid eligibility purposes also is provided to individuals:

 • Whose earnings preclude any SSI payment but are not sufficient to provide a reasonable equivalent of the SSI, social services, and Medicaid benefits that the individuals would have in the

absence of earnings; and 

 • Whose ability to continue working would be seriously inhibited by the loss of social services and

Medicaid benefits. 

To qualify for extended Medicaid coverage under section 1619(b) an individual must: 

 • Have a disabling condition,

 • Need Medicaid in order to work,

 • Not be able to afford equivalent medical coverage and publicly funded personal or attendant care

which would be lost without assistance, 

 • Meet all nondisability requirements for SSI payment other than earnings, and 

 • Have received a regular SSI cash payment in a previous month within the current period of eligibility. (In some States, the individual must have qualified for Medicaid the month preceding the

first month of 1619 eligibility.) 

In determining whether individuals’ earnings are not sufficient to provide them with the equivalent

benefits they would be eligible for if they stopped working, their earnings are compared to a threshold

amount for their State of residence. Section 1619(b) status continues if the earnings are below the

threshold. If earnings exceed the State threshold, an individualized assessment of the need for Medicaid is made and 1619(b) status may continue. 

7. Vocational Rehabilitation Referral/Reimbursement 

Since the beginning of the SSI program, SSA has made provision for blind or disabled individuals

who are receiving SSI benefits to be referred to the State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. If

the State agency does not accept the referral, SSA can refer recipients to an alternate provider. SSA

reimburses the VR agency for services provided in situations where the services result in the individual’s working at the substantial gainful activity level for a continuous period of 9 months, and in certain other limited situations. 

Individuals receiving SSI benefits who improve medically and, therefore, are no longer considered

disabled or blind can continue to receive SSI benefits if they are actively participating in an approved

VR program and completion of the program would increase the likelihood that they will be permanently removed from the SSI rolls. SSI benefits and Medicaid generally continue until the rehabilitation services are completed or until the individual ceases to participate in the program.

Individuals age 16 or older who receive SSI benefits due to blindness or disability and who refuse,

without good cause, to accept available rehabilitation services based upon a referral from SSA shall

be ineligible for SSI.
15

1999 SSI Annual Report

F. ADMINISTRATION OF THE SSI PROGRAM

The framers of the SSI program chose SSA to administer the SSI program because the basic system

for paying monthly benefits to a large number of individuals was already in place in the form of the

Social Security program, and SSA had a longstanding reputation for dealing with the public in a fair

and humane manner. 

1. Application Process 

Individuals can make appointments to apply for SSI benefits at any one of the approximately

1,300 SSA field offices around the country or through SSA teleservice centers. The claims process

includes the application interview, the obtaining of necessary evidence and documentation, and the

adjudication of the claim. Although the eligibility requirements of the Social Security program and

the SSI program are different, the application process is very similar. Many times, individuals file for

benefits under both programs at the same time. Potential claimants initially contact SSA by phone,

mail or in person. Field office personnel conduct an interview with the claimant and/or his/her representative. 

SSA corroborates information provided by applicants for SSI through independent or collateral

sources. Generally, the basic responsibility for obtaining evidence lies with the claimant, although

SSA often gives advice on ways to obtain the needed information. Because of the special circumstances of the SSI population (for example, financial need, old age, or illness), SSA makes special

efforts to assist claimants in obtaining the necessary proofs. 

With regard to disability and blindness claims, SSA makes determinations of all of the nonmedical

eligibility factors while each State’s Disability Determination Service (DDS) makes determinations of

the medical eligibility factors. 

2. Determinations of Eligibility 

SSI applications have no retroactivity and become effective in the month after the month of filing or

the month after all eligibility requirements are met, whichever is later. Eligibility for benefits is

determined on a monthly basis. The amount of the monthly benefit generally is determined using

income in the second month preceding the month for and in which the benefit is paid (a method called

retrospective monthly accounting). However, at the start of a period of eligibility or re-eligibility, the

benefits for the first and second months both are determined using the income received in the first

month. 

SSI recipients are required to have their nonmedical eligibility factors redetermined periodically, generally every 1 to 6 years depending on their specific situation. 

In addition to these nonmedical reviews, medical reviews are conducted on disabled or blind recipients in order to determine if they continue to be disabled or blind. For administrative efficiency the

medical reviews are done most often on those disabled or blind recipients whose medical conditions

are considered likely to improve. Medical reviews are required for disabled or blind recipients, for

example, under the following circumstances:

 • When earnings of recipients exceed the substantial gainful activity limit;

 • At least once every 3 years for recipients under age 18 whose medical conditions are considered

likely to improve;

 • Within 12 months after birth for recipients whose low birth weight is a contributing factor material to the determination of their disability; and

 • Within 1 year after attainment of age 18 and using the adult eligibility criteria, for recipients

whose eligibility for SSI benefits was established under the disabled child eligibility criteria.
1999 SSI Annual Report

16

3. Representative Payees 

When SSI recipients are incapable of handling their benefits, SSA appoints representative payees for

them, and their SSI benefits are sent to the representative payees. In many cases the representative

payee is a spouse, a parent, or other close relative who will act in the recipient’s best interest. In some

cases, an SSA-approved organization may be appointed and some organizations may deduct a fee

from the benefit for acting as payee. The fee cannot exceed the lesser of 10 percent of the benefit

amount or a specified amount ($27 a month in 1999 ($53 a month in the case of an organization acting as payee for disabled recipients who also have a drug addiction or alcoholism condition)).

Representative payees may only use an SSI recipient’s benefit for the use and benefit of the recipient

and must account for all benefits received. Representative payees also are required to report any

changes that may affect SSI recipients’ eligibility and payment amount and may be held liable for

any overpayments that occur. In cases in which a child is due a retroactive payment that exceeds

six times the Federal benefit rate, the representative payee is required to establish an account at a

financial institution to maintain the retroactive payment. Expenditures from the account must be

used primarily for certain expenses related to the child’s impairment.

4. Appeal Rights 

Recipients must be informed in writing in advance of adverse actions SSA plans to take and must be

given the opportunity to request that their benefits continue pending a decision at the first level of

appeal.

5. Attorney Fees 

At any time, an individual may appoint a representative in any dealings with the Social Security

Administration. If such a representative is an attorney, he/she must be in good standing, have the

right to practice law before a court, not be disqualified or suspended from acting as a representative

in dealings with Social Security and not be prohibited by any law from acting as a representative. If

the individual is not an attorney, he/she must meet qualifications specified by the Commissioner

(e.g., be of good character and able to provide valuable service to claimants).

A representative may charge and receive a fee for his/her services, but the Social Security Administration generally decides how much the fee shall be. Generally, the maximum fee that would be

authorized is 25 percent of the retroactive payment or $4,000, whichever is less. A representative

cannot charge or receive more than the fee amount authorized. SSI differs from the Social Security

program in that amounts cannot be withheld from an individual’s SSI benefits to pay for attorney

fees. SSI claimants are responsible for paying such fees directly to their attorneys.

6. Advance Payments 

The SSI program has provisions which help to respond to the immediate needs of new claimants.

These procedures are in addition to State and local programs designed to help those in need pending

decisions on their SSI status. 

a. Emergency Advance Payments 

A new claimant who faces a financial emergency, and for whom there is a strong likelihood to be

found eligible, may receive up to one month’s SSI benefits, the Federal payment amount plus any

applicable State supplement. The amount paid is recovered from later SSI payments (in full from the

first payment or in increments over no more than a 6-month period, depending upon the circumstances). However, if the claim is subsequently not allowed because of not finding disability or blindness, repayment would be waived. If the claim is disallowed for other reasons, the amount paid would

be an overpayment and processed as such.
17

1999 SSI Annual Report

b. Presumptive Disability or Blindness 

Up to 6 months’ payments may be made to an individual applying for benefits based on disability or

blindness when the available evidence reflects a high degree of probability that his/her impairment

will meet the definition of disability or blindness and he/she is otherwise eligible. These payments are

not considered overpayments if the individual is later determined not to be disabled or blind. 

G. STATE1 SUPPLEMENTATION

In designing the SSI program Congress recognized that States, in many instances, would want to

provide a higher level of income maintenance than was available under the Federal program. At the

same time States were given the option to either provide no supplementation to the Federal assistance payments or to supplement those payments based on their views of the needs of their citizens.

They were mandated to assure that their citizens would not receive lower benefits under the Federal

program than they had under the former State program. The following paragraphs describe the various forms of State supplementation that currently exist. Table III.H1 summarizes State-specific participation in these programs as well as other programs requiring State and Federal coordination as

discussed in section H.

1. Optional State Supplementary Payment Programs 

For individuals who first became eligible for SSI in 1974 or later, each State could supplement Federal payments to whatever extent it found appropriate with respect to the needs of its citizens and

resources of the State. In 1999, 44 States have optional State supplementary payment programs.

Some States provide supplementary payments to all individuals eligible for SSI benefits, while others

may limit them to certain SSI recipients such as the blind or residents of domiciliary-care facilities,

or may extend them to persons ineligible for SSI because of excess income. States’ flexibility in setting supplementary payments, however, has been significantly restricted by mandatory passalong

provisions (described below).

2. Mandatory State Supplementary Payment Programs 

States are required2 to maintain the December 1973 income levels of individuals who were transferred from the former State adult assistance programs to the SSI program in 1974, except for Texas

which has a constitutional bar against State supplementation. Because of the increases in Federal

benefits over the years, there are few individuals who continue to receive mandatory State supplementary payments. In December 1998, there were roughly 2,200 such recipients. 

3. Administration of State Supplementary Payments 

A State may administer its supplementary program or enter into an agreement under which SSA will

make eligibility determinations and payments on behalf of the State. Under State administration,

the State pays its own program benefits and absorbs the full administrative costs. Under Federal

administration States are required to pay SSA a $7.60 fee for each supplementary payment issued in

fiscal year 1999. Fees are scheduled to rise in succeeding fiscal years.

States that administer their own supplementary payment programs establish their own eligibility

criteria. States with Federally-administered programs must adhere to SSI eligibility criteria in all

aspects except that they may establish additional income disregards. 

 1 References to State include, in addition to the 50 States, the District of Columbia.

 2 Requirement does not affect West Virginia, since, in 1973, Federal SSI income standards exceeded those under the State’s adult assistance programs.
1999 SSI Annual Report

18

4. Mandatory Passalong 

It was originally Congress’ view that increases in the Federal SSI benefit rate eventually would

replace State supplementary payments. However, public reaction to States reducing their supplementary payment amounts when SSI payments were increased led Congress to mandate that States pass

along SSI benefit increases resulting from cost-of-living adjustments. 

To meet the passalong requirement, a State may either maintain each State payment level from yearto-year—the “payment levels” method—or it may spend the same amount of money, in the aggregate,

that it spent for supplementary benefits in the 12-month period preceding the increase in the SSI

benefit rate—the “total expenditures” method. Currently 38 States use the levels method and 11 use

the expenditure method. Two States are unaffected by the mandatory passalong requirement. Texas

has no mandatory or optional supplementary program because of a State constitutional restriction.

West Virginia has no optional supplementary plan and was not required to establish a mandatory

plan because Federal SSI income standards exceeded all payments made under the State’s adult

assistance programs in 1973.

H. COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS

SSI benefits are not the only form of assistance available to needy aged, blind, or disabled individuals. Medicaid, food stamps, and temporary State assistance also are important in keeping individuals

from sliding further into poverty. SSA plays a limited but important role in helping States with

regard to administration of Medicaid and food stamp programs, and provisions in the SSI statute

assure that payments made by States or under the Social Security program are not duplicated by SSI

benefits. 

1. Windfall Offset 

If a person receives SSI payments, and is later determined to be entitled to retroactive Social Security benefits, such retroactive benefits are reduced by the amount of SSI payments the person would

not have been eligible for had the Social Security benefits been paid in the month they were due. This

process is called the “windfall offset” and was enacted to prevent windfall payments to individuals

when Social Security and SSI payments were paid for the same period. 

2. Medicaid Determinations 

Generally, SSI recipients are categorically eligible for Medicaid. A State may either use SSI eligibility

criteria for determining Medicaid eligibility, or may use its own criteria as long as the criteria is no

more restrictive than the State’s January 1972 medical assistance standards. Forty States use SSI

criteria and 11 States use their own criteria. 

States also may enter into agreements with SSA for SSA to make Medicaid eligibility determinations

on their behalf as long as the eligibility requirements of the State’s Medicaid plans are the same as

those for the SSI program. Under these agreements, SSA determines only when an individual is eligible for Medicaid; SSA does not determine Medicaid ineligibility. SSA has Medicaid determination

agreements with 33 States. 

Continued Medicaid eligibility is provided in SSI law for certain Social Security beneficiaries who

lose SSI due to entitlement to Social Security benefits, or due to an increase in Social Security benefits resulting from:

 • Cost-of-living adjustments,

 • Actuarial increases in widow(er)s benefits,

 • Changes in the definition of disability for widow(er)s benefits, or

 • Increases in disabled adult child benefits. 
19

1999 SSI Annual Report

3. Food Stamp Applications 

SSI recipients in all States, except California, 1 may be eligible for food stamps. Under agreements

entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture and SSA, Social Security offices notify Social Security

and SSI applicants and recipients of their potential benefits under the Food Stamp program and

make food stamp applications available to them. 

The law also provides for Social Security offices to take food stamp applications from potentially eligible or eligible SSI households which are not already receiving food stamps and which do not have a

food stamp application pending. Food stamp applications from SSI households may be taken in connection with initial SSI claims or at the time of a redetermination. Food stamp applicants have the

option of applying at Social Security offices or applying at State food stamp offices if expedited service

is required. Social Security offices forward the food stamp applications and any supporting documents to the local food stamp offices within 1 day of taking the application. Eligibility is determined

by the food stamp office. 

4. Interim Assistance Reimbursement 

SSA may enter into agreements under which States or local governments are reimbursed for basic

needs assistance provided during the period that either an eligible individual’s SSI application for

benefits was pending, or the individual’s SSI benefits were suspended and subsequently reinstated

(the interim period).

Under these interim assistance reimbursement agreements, if the individual has given SSA written

authorization, SSA sends an individual’s first SSI benefit check relating to the interim period to the

State or local jurisdiction that had provided the interim assistance. The State then deducts the

amount it is owed and is required to forward the remainder to the claimant within 10 days. 2

Thirty-eight States have interim assistance agreements with SSA. 

 1 California “cashes out” food stamps and SSI recipients there receive a cash payment in their State supplementary payment in lieu of food

stamps.

 2 Beginning in August, 1996, in certain disabled children’s cases, SSA first reimburses the State, then pays the remainder into special dedicated

financial institution accounts for the children. In all cases where the retroactive benefits exceed a certain amount, SSA reimburses the State, then

pays the remainder in installments to the recipient or his/her representative payee.
1999 SSI Annual Report

20

1 See body of text for description of the various forms of State supplementation.

2 State no longer has any recipients receiving mandatory minimum State supplementation.

3 Mandatory minimum State supplementation program is Federally-administered. No optional program.

4 Mandatory minimum State supplementation program is Federally-administered.

5 State provides assistance only to individuals who have SSI applications pending.

6 State does not have a mandatory minimum State supplementation program.

Table III.H1.—SSI State Supplementation1 and Coordination with Other Programs

 United States and 

District of Columbia

Optional State program—

Administered by:

Method of mandatory passalong 

of benefit increases from 

cost-of-living adjustments

Medicaid eligibility determination— Interim 

assistance 

reimbursement 

agreement with 

SSA

Based on: Agreement 

with SSA to 

determine 

State eligibility

Federal 

(SSA)

Federal & 

State

“Payment

levels”

“Total

expenditures”

Federal 

criteria

State

criteria

Alabama 2 * * **

Alaska * * * *

Arizona * * * **

Arkansas 3 * * *

California * * * **

Colorado * * * * *

Connecticut 2 * * **

Delaware * * * *

District of Columbia * ** * *

Florida 2 * * * * *

Georgia 3 * * **

Hawaii * * * *

Idaho * **

Illinois * * *

Indiana * * **

Iowa * * * * *

Kansas 3 ** *

Kentucky 2 * * * * *

Louisiana 4 * * **

Maine * * * * *

Maryland 4 * * * **

Massachusetts * * * * *

Michigan * * * * * 5

Minnesota * * * *

Mississippi 3 * **

Missouri * * * *

Montana * * * **

Nebraska * * * *

Nevada 2 ** * *

New Hampshire * * * * 5

New Jersey * * * **

New Mexico * * * * * 5

New York ** * * *

North Carolina * * * * *

North Dakota ** *

Ohio 4 * * * *

Oklahoma * **

Oregon * * * *

Pennsylvania * * * **

Rhode Island 2 * * * * * 5

South Carolina 2 * * **

South Dakota 4 * * * *

Tennessee 3 * * **

Texas 6 * *

Utah 2 ** * *

Vermont 2 * * * * *

Virginia * ** *

Washington * * * * *

West Virginia 6 * *

Wisconsin * * * * *

Wyoming * * * **

Total number of States 28 11 5 38 11 40 11 33 38
21

1999 SSI Annual Report

IV. ESTIMATES OF PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND FEDERAL EXPENDITURES 

UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM, 1999-2023

As described in section III, eligibility for payments under the SSI program depends on a collection of

provisions related to the socioeconomic status of the individual, as well as the evaluation of disability

or blindness for all persons under age 65, and for certain individuals at ages 65 or older. Consequently, future SSI program participation will depend on a variety of difficult-to-predict factors

including the performance of national and local economies, distribution of personal income within

that macroeconomic framework, the prevalence of disability in the general population, and the determination of disability as defined by the Social Security Act. 

Estimates of expenditures under the SSI program, prior to the issuance of the first SSI Annual

Report in May 1997, were of a short-term nature prepared in conjunction with the President’s Budget. These short-term projections relied exclusively on the evaluation of recent historical trends in

the SSI program, and the extrapolation of such trends into the next few years. The provisions of

Public Law 104-193 mandating this report required that such projections of future program participation be prepared for a period of 25 years. As was discussed in the 1997 Annual Report, due to the

complex interaction between the economy and the SSI program, models for projecting SSI program

participation over such an extended time period should incorporate more sophisticated concepts than

the trend analysis traditionally used for budget purposes. In the 1998 Annual Report, the Office of

the Chief Actuary announced the beginning of a multi-year program of research intended to develop

the appropriate data and models to reflect the impact of the relevant cofactors on the future of the

SSI program. We expect to incorporate partial improvements to our models on an annual basis, and

the estimates presented in this and future reports will reflect such step-wise improvements.

For this third annual report, our estimates are based on the first stage of that model development

process. The nature of the enhancements made to our models since the 1998 Annual Report involve

the disaggregation of the basic population by single year-of-age in order to better understand and

forecast the various transitions in and out of payment status. In addition, movements out of payment

status were further examined by reason for such movements, although at this stage the analysis was

limited to two broad groups: (1) terminations due to death and (2) suspension of payment due to all

other reasons. 1 The work underlying these model enhancements involved extensive development of

historical databases with the necessary age-specific details, along with a complete rewriting of our

forecasting models to handle this additional disaggregation appropriately. An immediate benefit of

this new approach is the ability to better forecast the transition from status as a disabled child to status as a disabled adult at age 18. Furthermore, the additional detail in our new model provides an

enhanced ability to analyze the age structure of the historical and forecasted disabled adult population. The presentation of forecast results in the remainder of this section have been reorganized to

correspond to our new model structure. In particular, all tables now present SSI population information by selected age groups, rather than groups based exclusively on SSI recipient categories. Where

certain recipient categories have overlapping age distributions, recipient category totals are still

shown.

A. ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ASSUMPTIONS

As in previous annual reports, the estimates presented in this section have been prepared in a manner which accounts for the basic demographic changes expected to occur over the next 25 years. In

addition, the indexation of the Federal benefit rate depends on a projection of the Consumer Price

Index (CPI) over that same 25-year period. For purposes of developing these estimates, we have

relied on the demographic projections and CPI assumptions underlying the intermediate estimates

prepared for the 1999 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors

Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds. 2 Detailed discussion of these economic and demographic parameters is presented in section II.D of that report. 3 The key assumptions utilized directly

 1 The two main reasons other than death for termination of SSI payments are failure to satisfy income and resource limitations of the SSI program and recovery from a qualifying disability.

 2 House Document 106-48, published April 12, 1999.

 3 Ibid, Section II.D, Principal Economic and Demographic Assumptions.
1999 SSI Annual Report

22

for the projections presented in this report are summarized in the following two tables. Table IV.A1

presents population projections summarized by certain age subgroups that match the presentation of

SSI participant projections discussed in the next section. 

Notes:

1. Historical population data subject to revision.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

As described in section III.D.1, the monthly Federal benefit rate is adjusted annually in January to

reflect changes in the level of consumer prices. The adjustment factor is based on the year-to-year

increase in the CPI for the third quarter of the calendar year. This “cost-of-living” adjustment is identical to the adjustment of Social Security benefits under the OASDI program. In previous years, occasional ad hoc increases were also applied to the Federal benefit rates, either in place of or in addition

to such automatic adjustments. The history of legislation affecting the Federal benefit rates is presented in table V.A1. Table IV.A2 presents a complete history of the “cost-of-living” adjustment factors

Table IV.A1.—Historical and Estimated Population in the Social Security Area as Projected for the 

Intermediate Assumptions of the 1999 OASDI Trustees Report, as of July 1, 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Year

Age groups Total

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74 75 or older all ages

Historical data:

1974. . . . . . . 70,714 60,135 36,339 32,809 13,865 8,871 222,734

1975. . . . . . . 69,727 62,097 36,322 33,154 14,164 9,102 224,566

1976. . . . . . . 68,736 63,985 36,488 33,425 14,480 9,343 226,457

1977. . . . . . . 67,830 65,649 36,897 33,694 14,805 9,595 228,470

1978. . . . . . . 67,001 67,227 37,479 33,931 15,127 9,860 230,625

1979. . . . . . . 66,271 68,859 38,053 34,102 15,437 10,140 232,861

1980. . . . . . . 65,746 70,454 38,557 34,245 15,721 10,428 235,151

1981. . . . . . . 65,419 71,564 39,518 34,319 15,991 10,721 237,532

1982. . . . . . . 65,214 72,167 41,020 34,276 16,278 11,044 239,999

1983. . . . . . . 65,165 72,650 42,550 34,151 16,544 11,370 242,430

1984. . . . . . . 65,273 72,991 44,011 34,057 16,793 11,680 244,806

1985. . . . . . . 65,529 73,211 45,450 33,959 17,082 11,983 247,214

1986. . . . . . . 65,851 73,319 47,030 33,757 17,438 12,277 249,672

1987. . . . . . . 66,126 73,384 48,708 33,617 17,752 12,587 252,174

1988. . . . . . . 66,360 73,483 50,399 33,596 17,998 12,896 254,732

1989. . . . . . . 66,812 73,397 52,168 33,588 18,241 13,209 257,416

1990. . . . . . . 67,618 72,876 53,968 33,662 18,437 13,567 260,128

1991. . . . . . . 68,585 72,063 55,722 33,897 18,595 13,937 262,798

1992. . . . . . . 69,555 71,187 57,373 34,330 18,770 14,293 265,508

1993. . . . . . . 70,446 70,339 58,942 34,909 18,910 14,625 268,170

1994. . . . . . . 71,225 69,522 60,536 35,491 19,000 14,928 270,701

1995. . . . . . . 71,874 68,751 62,197 36,028 19,032 15,249 273,130

1996. . . . . . . 72,448 68,092 63,619 36,861 18,965 15,607 275,591

1997. . . . . . . 72,915 67,560 64,652 38,219 18,851 15,957 278,154

1998. . . . . . . 73,228 67,143 65,522 39,783 18,715 16,280 280,670

Estimated:

1999. . . . . . . 73,446 66,862 66,327 41,280 18,593 16,578 283,085

2000. . . . . . . 73,606 66,767 66,935 42,773 18,526 16,857 285,463

2001. . . . . . . 73,746 66,848 67,291 44,323 18,492 17,107 287,807

2002. . . . . . . 73,883 67,040 67,413 45,959 18,478 17,347 290,120

2003. . . . . . . 73,967 67,319 67,375 47,644 18,524 17,576 292,405

2004. . . . . . . 74,009 67,593 67,270 49,387 18,637 17,772 294,668

2005. . . . . . . 74,028 67,808 67,151 51,179 18,808 17,939 296,912

2006. . . . . . . 74,002 68,101 66,912 52,976 19,086 18,065 299,142

2007. . . . . . . 73,892 68,667 66,393 54,705 19,574 18,133 301,363

2008. . . . . . . 73,692 69,521 65,640 56,317 20,250 18,157 303,578

2009. . . . . . . 73,468 70,481 64,805 57,927 20,918 18,189 305,788

2010. . . . . . . 73,290 71,398 63,958 59,606 21,489 18,253 307,995

2011 . . . . . . . 73,187 72,218 63,145 61,072 22,248 18,325 310,196

2012. . . . . . . 73,155 72,914 62,426 62,105 23,375 18,413 312,388

2013. . . . . . . 73,177 73,500 61,831 62,958 24,555 18,546 314,567

2014. . . . . . . 73,241 73,964 61,413 63,754 25,644 18,715 316,730

2015. . . . . . . 73,343 74,295 61,240 64,355 26,726 18,914 318,872

2016. . . . . . . 73,479 74,540 61,291 64,713 27,793 19,174 320,989

2017. . . . . . . 73,641 74,723 61,496 64,846 28,813 19,558 323,076

2018. . . . . . . 73,823 74,882 61,743 64,827 29,793 20,061 325,128

2019. . . . . . . 74,016 75,032 61,938 64,749 30,843 20,562 327,140

2020. . . . . . . 74,215 75,126 62,092 64,660 31,999 21,014 329,106

2021. . . . . . . 74,411 75,172 62,311 64,460 33,049 21,620 331,022

2022. . . . . . . 74,597 75,191 62,723 63,994 33,858 22,519 332,883

2023. . . . . . . 74,765 75,159 63,363 63,305 34,608 23,482 334,683
23

1999 SSI Annual Report

and Federal benefit rates since the inception of the program, along with projections of such amounts

consistent with the economic assumptions underlying the SSI expenditure estimates discussed in

section IV.C.

Estimates presented in the sections that follow are based on the assumptions described in this section. Furthermore, for purposes of making these estimates, it is assumed that no changes will occur

during the projection period in the present statutory provisions and regulations under which the

SSI program operates.

Table IV.A2.—Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments and Federal Benefit Rates Estimated on the 

Basis of the Intermediate Assumptions of the 1999 OASDI Trustees Report, 1974-2023 

Year

Benefit rate

increase 1

 1 Increases prior to 1984 were effective for the payment due on July 1 of the year. Increases shown for 1984 and later are effective

for the payment due on January 1 of the year.

Federal benefit rate

Individual Couple Essential person 2

 2 A concept carried over from the former State assistance plans. There are currently fewer than 100 of those cases remaining.

Historical data:

Initial benefit paid 

January 1, 1974 3 

 3 Benefits paid in January, 1974 were based on the Federal benefit rates established by Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30,

1972: $130.00 for individuals; $195.00 for couples; and $65.00 for essential persons. Retroactive payments were subsequently

made to adjust initial payments to the higher Federal benefit rates established by Public Law 93-233, enacted December 31, 1973.

— $140.00 $210.00 $70.00

1974 . . . . . . . 4 4.3%

 4 Ad hoc increases as specified in the law.

146.00 219.00 73.00

1975 . . . . . . . 8.0 157.70 236.60 78.90

1976 . . . . . . . 6.4 167.80 251.80 84.00

1977 . . . . . . . 5.9 177.80 266.70 89.00

1978 . . . . . . . 6.5 189.40 284.10 94.80

1979 . . . . . . . 9.9 208.20 312.30 104.20

1980 . . . . . . . 14.3 238.00 357.00 119.20

1981 . . . . . . . 11.2 264.70 397.00 132.60

1982 . . . . . . . 7.4 284.30 426.40 142.50

1983 . . . . . . . 4 7.0 304.30 456.40 152.50

1984 . . . . . . . 3.5 314.00 472.00 157.00

1985 . . . . . . . 3.5 325.00 488.00 163.00

1986 . . . . . . . 3.1 336.00 504.00 168.00

1987 . . . . . . . 1.3 340.00 510.00 170.00

1988 . . . . . . . 4.2 354.00 532.00 177.00

1989 . . . . . . . 4.0 368.00 553.00 184.00

1990 . . . . . . . 4.7 386.00 579.00 193.00

1991 . . . . . . . 5.4 407.00 610.00 204.00

1992 . . . . . . . 3.7 422.00 633.00 211.00

1993 . . . . . . . 3.0 434.00 652.00 217.00

1994 . . . . . . . 2.6 446.00 669.00 223.00

1995 . . . . . . . 2.8 458.00 687.00 229.00

1996 . . . . . . . 2.6 470.00 705.00 235.00

1997 . . . . . . . 2.9 484.00 726.00 242.00

1998 . . . . . . . 2.1 494.00 741.00 247.00

1999 . . . . . . . 1.3 500.00 751.00 250.00

Estimated:

2000 . . . . . . . 1.9 510.00 765.00 255.00

2001 . . . . . . . 2.2 521.00 782.00 261.00

2002 . . . . . . . 2.5 534.00 801.00 267.00

2003 . . . . . . . 2.6 548.00 822.00 274.00

2004 . . . . . . . 2.8 563.00 845.00 282.00

2005 . . . . . . . 3.0 580.00 871.00 291.00

2006 . . . . . . . 3.2 599.00 898.00 300.00

2007 . . . . . . . 3.2 618.00 927.00 309.00

2008 . . . . . . . 3.2 638.00 957.00 319.00

2009 . . . . . . . 3.3 659.00 989.00 330.00

2010 . . . . . . . 3.3 681.00 1,021.00 341.00

2011 . . . . . . . 3.3 703.00 1,055.00 352.00

2012 . . . . . . . 3.3 726.00 1,090.00 364.00

2013 . . . . . . . 3.3 750.00 1,126.00 376.00

2014 . . . . . . . 3.3 775.00 1,163.00 388.00

2015 . . . . . . . 3.3 801.00 1,201.00 401.00

2016 . . . . . . . 3.3 827.00 1,241.00 414.00

2017 . . . . . . . 3.3 854.00 1,282.00 428.00

2018 . . . . . . . 3.3 883.00 1,324.00 442.00

2019 . . . . . . . 3.3 912.00 1,368.00 457.00

2020 . . . . . . . 3.3 942.00 1,413.00 472.00

2021 . . . . . . . 3.3 973.00 1,460.00 487.00

2022 . . . . . . . 3.3 1,005.00 1,508.00 503.00

2023 . . . . . . . 3.3 1,038.00 1,558.00 520.00
1999 SSI Annual Report

24

B. NUMBERS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SSI PROGRAM

In this section, we present our projections of the various subpopulations which lead to the numbers of

persons receiving Federal SSI payments. As described above, the forecasting models that produce

these projections have been restructured to handle population flows by single-year-of-age. Correspondingly, the tables in this section have been reorganized since the 1998 Annual Report to present

these population totals by selected age groupings. This is in contrast with the 1998 Annual Report

which presented forecast results exclusively by recipient categories of aged, blind or disabled adults,

and blind or disabled children. Since these recipient categories are in large part based on age, the

additional age breakouts shown in this year’s report can be viewed as a refinement of the information

presented in the first two SSI Annual Reports. The following paragraphs discuss a few of the subtle

points in the translation between the previous recipient categories and current age categories.

 • The aged category includes those individuals whose eligibility for SSI benefits is established

based on meeting the age-65-or-older requirement for assistance, and the income and resource

limits applicable for adults. In December 1998, there were 1.332 million aged recipients of Federally-administered SSI payments. 

 • The blind or disabled adults category includes those individuals whose eligibility is established

based on meeting the definition of blindness or disability for individuals age 18 or older, and the

income and resource limits applicable for adults. After attainment of age 65 these individuals

generally continue to be classified as blind or disabled adults (rather than aged). In

December 1998, there were 4.306 million blind or disabled adult recipients of Federally-administered SSI payments, including 682 thousand disabled and 19 thousand blind recipients aged 65

or older.

 • The blind or disabled children category includes those individuals whose initial eligibility is

established based on meeting the definition of blindness or disability for individuals under

age 18. At age 18 these individuals continue to be eligible for SSI if they meet the definition of

blindness or disability for individuals age 18 or older. As a result, blind or disabled children are

generally reclassified as blind or disabled adults at age 18. However, students aged 18 to 21 are

still classified as blind or disabled children, but only for purposes of applying a special student

earned income exclusion. 1 The numbers of students, however, represent a small percentage of

the total number of disabled children. For example, in December 1998, there were 928 thousand

blind or disabled child recipients of Federally-administered SSI payments, including 41 thousand students aged 18 to 21. Since these students are small in number, and for most purposes

treated under the program as disabled adults, most agency management information is moving

in the direction of equating disabled children with the age grouping 0 to 17. Beginning with this

report, our tables showing historical and projected SSI data will conform to this new standard.

Much of the historical age-specific information presented in the discussion that follows had to be

reconstructed using samples of various sizes. Most age-specific splits prior to 1980 have not yet been

developed, but will be constructed for future reports. Historical age breakouts may be revised in

future reports as more complete data become available. Unless otherwise indicated, the historical calendar year program totals should agree with those shown in previous SSI Annual Reports.

Table IV.B1 presents historical and projected numbers of persons applying for SSI benefits, by calendar year of application. Figure IV.B1 presents this same information in graphical form. Actual numbers of applications received in 1998 were about 5 percent higher than were received in 1997. The

actual result for 1998 was about 2 percent lower than estimated for 1998 in the 1998 Annual Report.

This slightly more favorable experience is probably largely attributable to better performance of the

economy than anticipated at the beginning of 1998, since no legislative or regulatory changes

occurred in 1998 that would have had a significant impact on SSI applications. Longer term trends in

applications are estimated to continue to grow from current levels roughly in line with overall population growth.

 1 Parent-to-child deeming ends in all cases when an individual turns 18.
25

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B1.—SSI Federally-Administered Applications, 1 Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In thousands]

 1 Based on data reported in the Integrated Workload Management System (formerly known as the District Office Workload Report).

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . ( 2 )

 2 Consistent data on applications for 1974 (the first year of operation of the program) are not available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1975 3 . 

 3 Totals estimated using a 1-percent sample.

( 4 )

 4 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 1,075 325 1,400

1976. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 984 254 1,239

1977. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 1,040 259 1,298

1978. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 1,046 258 1,304

1979. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 1,090 262 1,352

1980. . . 122 310 272 438 8 1 187 89 1,151 276 1,427

1981. . . 78 206 173 271 5 ( 5 )

 5 Fewer than 500.

88 42 733 130 864

1982. . . 88 246 206 278 11 1 93 48 830 141 971

1983. . . 102 258 225 311 5 1 122 68 902 190 1,092

1984. . . 103 267 247 321 7 ( 5 ) 178 108 944 286 1,230

1985. . . 114 294 297 409 7 ( 5 ) 151 73 1,122 223 1,345

1986. . . 122 316 334 426 7 1 150 81 1,205 231 1,437

1987. . . 108 287 299 331 7 1 134 66 1,033 200 1,233

1988. . . 114 282 301 317 7 1 131 69 1,021 200 1,221

1989. . . 116 297 323 329 7 ( 5 ) 146 76 1,072 222 1,294

1990. . . 149 335 380 356 6 ( 5 ) 156 71 1,226 227 1,454

1991. . . 237 391 453 391 7 ( 5 ) 159 68 1,479 227 1,706

1992. . . 339 453 522 407 8 ( 5 ) 163 64 1,728 226 1,955

1993. . . 473 506 570 416 7 ( 5 ) 158 61 1,973 218 2,191

1994. . . 517 492 571 402 6 ( 5 ) 136 52 1,989 188 2,177

1995. . . 473 435 524 363 6 ( 5 ) 121 44 1,801 165 1,966

1996. . . 431 393 500 345 9 1 108 44 1,678 153 1,831

1997. . . 306 317 438 307 8 1 82 35 1,377 117 1,494

1998. . . 318 317 453 331 9 1 96 39 1,428 136 1,563

Estimated:

1999. . . 345 320 475 348 8 ( 5 ) 95 37 1,495 132 1,628

2000. . . 354 320 477 361 7 ( 5 ) 94 38 1,520 132 1,652

2001. . . 359 322 483 377 7 ( 5 ) 92 37 1,549 129 1,678

2002. . . 365 323 483 391 7 ( 5 ) 90 37 1,569 126 1,695

2003. . . 370 322 482 404 7 ( 5 ) 89 36 1,585 126 1,710

2004. . . 374 320 477 416 7 ( 5 ) 87 35 1,595 123 1,718

2005. . . 376 319 475 429 7 ( 5 ) 87 35 1,607 122 1,729

2006. . . 376 319 469 441 7 ( 5 ) 87 35 1,613 122 1,734

2007. . . 378 323 465 454 8 ( 5 ) 89 34 1,627 123 1,750

2008. . . 379 328 460 468 8 ( 5 ) 92 34 1,643 126 1,769

2009. . . 378 333 455 481 8 ( 5 ) 94 34 1,655 127 1,782

2010. . . 378 337 449 495 9 ( 5 ) 95 34 1,667 129 1,796

2011. . . 378 341 443 505 9 ( 5 ) 99 34 1,676 133 1,809

2012. . . 378 344 438 512 10 ( 5 ) 105 34 1,682 139 1,821

2013. . . 379 346 434 519 10 ( 5 ) 108 34 1,688 142 1,830

2014. . . 379 348 431 525 11 ( 5 ) 112 34 1,695 146 1,840

2015. . . 380 349 431 529 11 ( 5 ) 116 34 1,700 150 1,850

2016. . . 381 350 432 530 11 ( 5 ) 119 34 1,705 153 1,858

2017. . . 382 351 433 530 12 ( 5 ) 122 35 1,708 157 1,865

2018. . . 384 352 434 529 12 ( 5 ) 126 36 1,711 162 1,873

2019. . . 385 352 435 528 12 1 131 37 1,713 168 1,881

2020. . . 386 353 436 527 13 1 135 38 1,715 173 1,888

2021. . . 387 353 438 524 13 1 139 39 1,715 178 1,894

2022. . . 387 354 442 518 13 1 142 41 1,715 183 1,898

2023. . . 388 353 447 512 14 1 146 43 1,715 188 1,903
1999 SSI Annual Report

26

The adjudication of these applications involves an evaluation of levels of income and resources available to the applicants, as well as other eligibility factors including marital and citizenship status and

living arrangements. In addition, in over 90 percent of the cases, an evaluation of an alleged impairment must be done by the appropriate State Disability Determination Service. An unfavorable disability determination may then be appealed by the applicant through several administrative levels of

appeal. If all administrative levels of appeal are exhausted, the applicant may in turn carry his/her

appeal to the Federal courts. Data on recent historical experience for this disability decision process

is presented in section V.C. 

Table IV.B2 and figure IV.B2 present historical and projected numbers of persons who are ultimately

awarded SSI eligibility as a result of this decision process. In that table and graph, we are essentially

counting individuals as being awarded in the first month that they move into SSI payment status.

For this reason, we will refer to these individuals as “new entrants” rather than “awards.” 1 The tabulation of historical numbers of such new entrants has been improved since the 1998 report due to the

availability of additional administrative data. In particular, certain new entrants who had been

missed in previous tabulations due to the lack of sufficient detail in those earlier data sources are

now being counted. Consequently, historical figures shown in table IV.B2 are slightly higher than the

corresponding totals shown in the 1998 Annual Report. As anticipated in the 1998 Annual Report,

the numbers of new entrants into SSI payment status increased in 1998 following a period of decline

ending in 1997. 

 Figure IV.B1.—SSI Federally-Administered Applications by Age Group, Calendar Years 1980-2025

[In thousands]

 1 In addition, these counts differ slightly from other similar totals identified as “awards” and published by the Office of Research, Evaluation, and

Statistics (ORES) in the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin. The ORES totals are similar in concept to ours, but differ

slightly due to timing of the action being tabulated. For example, ORES does not count a disability benefit as being awarded until the disability

decision is made. Under our procedure, individuals first coming on the SSI rolls through a finding of presumptive disability would be counted as a

“new entrant” in the first month of presumptive disability payment. In contrast, ORES would not count this person as an award until a final disability allowance decision had been rendered.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

35-49

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

Historical Estimated

75 or older
27

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B2.—SSI Federally-Administered New Entrants, Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Calendar 

year 1 

 1 Represents period in which first payment was made, not date of first eligibility for payments.

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals 2 

 2 Historical totals estimated based on 1-percent or 10-percent sample data.

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974 3 . 

 3 Totals for 1974 include recipients converted from previous State programs as well as new entrants to the SSI program during 1974.

( 4 )

 4 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 1,919 2,479 4,398

1975. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 584 347 931

1976. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 452 218 669

1977. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 429 209 637

1978. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 370 193 563

1979. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 330 169 499

1980. . . 41 92 61 142 4 ( 5 ) 125 59 341 184 524

1981. . . 37 77 49 106 3 ( 5 )

 5 Fewer than 500.

80 37 272 117 389

1982. . . 38 63 51 90 4 ( 5 ) 72 31 245 103 348

1983. . . 47 88 62 117 3 ( 5 ) 95 51 317 146 463

1984. . . 47 109 78 142 4 ( 5 ) 131 78 380 209 589

1985. . . 48 104 80 148 4 ( 5 ) 106 46 384 152 536

1986. . . 55 127 109 153 5 ( 5 ) 110 51 449 161 610

1987. . . 48 119 106 157 5 ( 5 ) 116 52 435 167 602

1988. . . 50 101 108 146 5 1 112 56 412 167 579

1989. . . 48 113 115 155 5 ( 5 ) 127 62 436 189 625

1990. . . 76 136 134 182 5 ( 5 ) 149 66 533 215 748

1991. . . 126 146 172 200 6 ( 5 ) 139 54 650 193 844

1992. . . 221 199 221 233 6 ( 5 ) 133 48 881 181 1,062

1993. . . 235 194 221 225 6 ( 5 ) 136 49 881 185 1,066

1994. . . 204 164 207 215 6 ( 5 ) 116 42 796 157 953

1995. . . 177 147 207 218 5 ( 5 ) 105 36 755 141 895

1996. . . 145 134 193 203 6 1 93 35 681 128 809

1997. . . 116 111 171 178 4 ( 5 ) 68 25 580 93 673

1998. . . 135 117 181 194 7 1 78 30 634 108 742

Estimated:

1999. . . 137 113 181 197 5 ( 5 ) 74 30 634 104 738

2000. . . 133 111 177 199 5 ( 5 ) 73 30 624 103 727

2001. . . 131 109 177 204 4 ( 5 ) 71 29 626 100 726

2002. . . 132 108 175 210 4 ( 5 ) 70 29 631 98 729

2003. . . 135 107 173 216 5 ( 5 ) 69 29 635 98 733

2004. . . 137 106 170 220 5 ( 5 ) 68 28 638 96 734

2005. . . 138 105 168 226 5 ( 5 ) 68 28 642 96 737

2006. . . 138 104 166 231 5 ( 5 ) 68 27 643 95 739

2007. . . 139 105 163 237 5 ( 5 ) 69 27 649 96 744

2008. . . 139 106 161 243 5 ( 5 ) 71 27 655 98 753

2009. . . 139 107 159 249 5 ( 5 ) 73 26 660 99 759

2010. . . 138 108 156 256 5 ( 5 ) 74 26 664 101 765

2011. . . 138 109 154 261 6 ( 5 ) 77 26 668 103 771

2012. . . 138 110 152 264 6 ( 5 ) 80 26 671 106 777

2013. . . 138 110 150 268 6 ( 5 ) 83 26 673 109 783

2014. . . 138 111 149 271 7 ( 5 ) 86 26 676 113 789

2015. . . 138 111 148 273 7 ( 5 ) 90 26 678 116 794

2016. . . 139 111 149 274 7 ( 5 ) 92 27 680 119 800

2017. . . 139 111 149 275 7 ( 5 ) 95 28 682 123 805

2018. . . 139 112 149 275 7 ( 5 ) 98 28 683 127 810

2019. . . 140 112 150 275 8 ( 5 ) 101 29 685 130 815

2020. . . 140 112 150 275 8 ( 5 ) 105 30 685 135 820

2021. . . 140 113 151 273 8 ( 5 ) 108 31 686 139 825

2022. . . 141 113 153 271 8 ( 5 ) 111 32 686 143 829

2023. . . 141 113 155 268 9 ( 5 ) 114 34 686 147 833
1999 SSI Annual Report

28

Some of the persons receiving SSI benefits in a year will be removed from current-payment status

during the year because of death or the loss of SSI eligibility. The loss of eligibility can occur either as

the result of an evaluation of the individual’s nonmedical factors of eligibility, including income and

resources, or due to a determination that he/she is no longer disabled as defined under the Social

Security Act. For example, disabled children, upon attainment of age 18, lose eligibility if they do not

qualify for benefits under the disabled adult eligibility criteria. For purposes of this presentation, we

refer to the net reduction in the number of SSI recipients in payment status during a period as the

number of SSI terminations for that period. As discussed previously, beginning with the 1999 Annual

Report, we have separated these numbers of people moving out of payment status into those leaving

due to death (table IV.B3), and those leaving for all other reasons (table IV.B4). Table IV.B5 and figure IV.B3 present historical and projected numbers of total terminations by calendar year. Actual

experience for terminations in 1998 was roughly in line with that anticipated in the 1998 Annual

Report.

Some historical details on income and resource redeterminations and the results of continuing disability reviews are presented in section V.D. Section V.E presents information on certain incentive

programs intended to encourage disabled SSI recipients to return to work.

 Figure IV.B2.—SSI Federally-Administered New Entrants by Age Group, Calendar Years 1980-2025

[In thousands]

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

35-49

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

Historical Estimated

75 or older
29

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B3.—SSI Federally-Administered Terminations Due to Death, Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals 1 

 1 Historical totals estimated based on 1-percent or 10-percent sample data.

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . ( 2 )

 2 Data not available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1975. . . ( 3 )

 3 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 65 147 212

1976. . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 64 137 201

1977. . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 65 137 203

1978. . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 67 126 193

1979. . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 67 121 189

1980. . . 3 5 9 31 22 1 27 100 71 127 198

1981. . . 3 5 8 31 24 2 21 92 73 112 186

1982. . . 3 4 8 28 21 2 16 80 65 96 161

1983. . . 3 6 8 25 21 3 15 79 65 94 158

1984. . . 3 4 9 29 18 5 13 83 67 96 163

1985. . . 2 6 10 29 24 6 17 84 77 101 178

1986. . . 2 8 12 28 22 8 15 83 80 98 178

1987. . . 3 8 13 30 23 10 15 82 87 97 184

1988. . . 5 8 14 31 25 12 16 81 95 97 191

1989. . . 3 8 16 33 23 12 15 78 95 93 187

1990. . . 4 9 18 36 22 14 16 75 103 92 194

1991. . . 4 9 20 39 23 17 17 74 112 91 203

1992. . . 4 11 22 38 22 15 16 69 111 84 195

1993. . . 6 13 27 41 23 17 16 72 127 88 215

1994. . . 6 14 27 41 23 17 16 69 127 85 212

1995. . . 6 13 30 43 24 18 16 65 135 81 216

1996. . . 7 12 30 44 24 18 16 67 135 83 218

1997. . . 5 10 24 43 24 19 15 64 127 79 206

1998. . . 5 9 24 43 25 20 14 64 127 78 205

Estimated:

1999. . . 5 9 25 45 25 21 13 63 130 75 206

2000. . . 5 9 26 46 25 21 12 62 132 74 206

2001. . . 5 9 26 47 26 21 12 62 134 73 207

2002. . . 5 9 26 48 27 21 11 62 135 73 208

2003. . . 5 9 26 49 27 21 11 61 137 72 209

2004. . . 5 9 25 51 27 22 10 61 139 72 210

2005. . . 5 9 25 52 28 22 10 61 141 71 212

2006. . . 5 9 25 53 28 22 9 61 142 71 213

2007. . . 5 9 24 54 29 22 9 61 144 70 214

2008. . . 5 9 24 56 30 23 9 61 145 70 215

2009. . . 5 9 23 57 30 23 9 61 147 70 216

2010. . . 5 9 23 58 30 23 9 61 148 70 218

2011. . . 6 9 22 59 31 23 9 60 150 70 219

2012. . . 6 9 21 60 32 24 10 60 152 69 221

2013. . . 6 9 21 60 33 24 10 59 153 69 222

2014. . . 6 9 21 61 34 24 10 59 154 69 223

2015. . . 6 9 20 61 35 25 11 58 156 69 225

2016. . . 6 9 20 61 36 25 11 58 157 69 226

2017. . . 6 9 20 61 37 26 11 57 159 69 228

2018. . . 6 10 20 61 38 26 12 57 160 69 229

2019. . . 6 10 20 61 39 26 12 56 162 68 230

2020. . . 6 10 20 61 40 27 13 56 163 68 231

2021. . . 6 10 20 61 41 27 13 56 164 69 232

2022. . . 6 10 20 60 41 28 13 56 165 69 234

2023. . . 6 10 20 59 42 29 14 56 166 70 236
1999 SSI Annual Report

30

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B4.—SSI Federally-Administered Terminations Due to Reasons Other Than Death, Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals 1 

 1 Historical totals estimated based on 1-percent or 10-percent sample data.

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974 . . . ( 2 )

 2 Data not available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1975 . . . ( 3 )

 3 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 221 180 401

1976 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 306 240 546

1977 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 265 168 433

1978 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 241 150 391

1979 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 234 144 378

1980 . . . 19 48 43 80 23 1 44 77 214 121 334

1981 . . . 17 43 39 72 21 1 49 86 192 134 326

1982 . . . 19 48 43 79 23 1 50 87 212 137 348

1983 . . . 18 43 36 63 14 1 25 61 175 86 261

1984 . . . 13 51 37 77 21 1 37 60 200 98 298

1985 . . . 11 42 37 68 13 2 23 54 172 77 249

1986 . . . 18 49 47 73 16 3 34 60 206 94 300

1987 . . . 19 51 48 75 17 3 32 57 214 89 302

1988 . . . 19 52 51 74 15 5 33 59 216 93 309

1989 . . . 19 55 52 72 16 4 33 58 218 91 308

1990 . . . 14 52 57 73 17 8 40 68 221 108 330

1991 . . . 20 50 70 84 18 5 33 58 248 91 339

1992 . . . 39 68 94 103 19 8 34 56 329 90 419

1993 . . . 34 73 97 106 22 8 37 55 340 92 433

1994 . . . 41 73 101 107 18 8 32 49 348 81 429

1995 . . . 47 81 111 115 20 7 32 48 382 80 461

1996 . . . 47 89 128 119 21 8 29 49 413 78 491

1997 . . . 128 105 147 115 18 8 24 40 522 64 586

1998 . . . 67 89 112 110 19 8 22 38 406 61 466

Estimated:

1999 . . . 65 92 117 116 20 10 15 36 420 51 471

2000 . . . 51 99 128 127 22 10 18 37 436 54 491

2001 . . . 48 100 129 131 22 10 17 37 440 54 494

2002 . . . 49 99 128 134 22 10 15 35 442 50 492

2003 . . . 48 99 127 137 22 10 14 35 444 49 493

2004 . . . 47 100 127 143 23 10 13 33 450 46 496

2005 . . . 45 101 126 148 23 10 12 31 453 43 496

2006 . . . 44 102 125 153 24 10 11 31 458 42 500

2007 . . . 43 104 123 157 25 11 11 30 462 41 503

2008 . . . 41 106 121 161 25 11 11 29 466 39 505

2009 . . . 39 109 119 165 26 11 10 28 468 38 506

2010 . . . 39 110 116 169 26 11 10 27 472 37 509

2011. . . . 40 112 114 172 27 11 11 28 476 39 514

2012 . . . 40 113 112 174 28 11 11 27 479 39 517

2013 . . . 40 114 110 176 29 12 12 27 480 38 519

2014 . . . 40 115 109 177 30 12 12 26 482 38 521

2015 . . . 40 116 108 178 31 12 13 26 484 39 523

2016 . . . 39 118 107 178 32 12 14 27 486 41 527

2017 . . . 39 119 107 178 33 12 14 28 489 42 530

2018 . . . 39 120 107 178 33 12 15 29 491 45 536

2019 . . . 39 122 107 178 34 13 16 30 493 46 539

2020 . . . 39 123 108 178 36 13 17 30 496 48 544

2021 . . . 39 124 108 178 36 13 18 30 498 48 546

2022 . . . 39 125 109 176 37 14 18 30 500 48 549

2023 . . . 38 126 110 174 38 14 20 33 501 53 554
31

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B5.—SSI Federally-Administered Terminations for All Reasons, Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals 1 

 1 Historical totals estimated based on 1-percent or 10-percent sample data.

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974 . . . ( 2 )

 2 Data not available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1975 . . . ( 3 )

 3 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 287 326 613

1976 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 371 377 748

1977 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 330 305 636

1978 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 308 276 584

1979 . . . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 301 265 566

1980 . . . 22 53 52 111 45 2 70 177 284 248 532

1981 . . . 20 48 47 103 45 3 69 177 266 246 512

1982 . . . 21 52 51 107 43 2 65 168 277 233 510

1983 . . . 21 49 44 87 34 4 39 140 240 180 419

1984 . . . 16 55 46 106 39 6 50 144 267 194 461

1985 . . . 13 47 47 97 37 8 40 138 249 178 427

1986 . . . 21 58 59 101 38 11 48 143 287 192 478

1987 . . . 22 59 61 106 40 13 47 138 301 185 486

1988 . . . 24 60 65 105 39 18 49 140 311 189 500

1989 . . . 22 63 69 105 39 15 47 136 312 183 496

1990 . . . 18 61 75 109 39 22 56 144 324 200 524

1991 . . . 25 60 90 123 40 22 50 132 360 182 542

1992 . . . 42 78 115 140 41 23 50 125 440 175 614

1993 . . . 40 86 124 148 45 24 54 127 467 181 648

1994 . . . 47 87 128 148 41 24 48 118 475 166 642

1995 . . . 54 94 142 158 44 25 47 113 517 160 677

1996 . . . 54 101 158 163 45 27 45 116 548 161 710

1997 . . . 133 116 172 159 43 26 39 105 648 143 792

1998 . . . 73 98 136 153 44 29 36 102 533 138 671

Estimated:

1999 . . . 70 101 142 161 45 30 28 98 550 126 676

2000 . . . 56 108 153 173 47 31 30 99 568 129 697

2001 . . . 53 109 155 178 48 31 29 99 573 127 701

2002 . . . 54 108 154 182 49 31 26 97 577 123 700

2003 . . . 53 108 152 187 49 31 25 96 581 121 702

2004 . . . 52 109 153 194 50 32 23 94 589 118 706

2005 . . . 50 110 151 200 51 32 22 93 594 114 708

2006 . . . 49 111 150 206 52 33 21 92 600 113 713

2007 . . . 48 113 147 211 54 33 20 91 606 111 717

2008 . . . 47 115 144 217 55 33 19 90 611 109 720

2009 . . . 45 117 142 222 56 34 19 88 615 108 723

2010 . . . 45 119 138 227 56 34 19 87 620 107 727

2011 . . . 45 120 136 231 58 35 20 88 625 108 734

2012 . . . 45 122 134 234 60 35 21 87 630 108 738

2013 . . . 46 123 131 236 62 36 21 86 633 108 741

2014 . . . 45 124 129 238 64 36 22 85 637 107 744

2015 . . . 45 126 128 239 66 37 23 85 640 108 748

2016 . . . 45 128 127 240 67 37 25 85 644 109 753

2017 . . . 45 129 127 240 69 38 26 85 648 110 758

2018 . . . 45 130 127 240 71 38 27 86 651 113 765

2019 . . . 45 131 127 239 73 39 28 86 655 114 769

2020 . . . 45 133 127 239 75 39 30 86 659 116 775

2021 . . . 45 134 128 238 77 40 31 86 662 116 778

2022 . . . 44 135 129 236 79 42 31 86 665 118 783

2023 . . . 44 136 131 233 80 43 33 89 667 122 790
1999 SSI Annual Report

32

Combining the number of persons coming on the SSI payment rolls during a year with the number of

those already receiving benefits at the beginning of the year, and subtracting the number leaving the

rolls during the year, yields the number of persons receiving Federally-administered SSI payments at

the end of the specified period. Individuals receiving Federal SSI payments, who comprise the great

majority of Federally-administered recipients, are presented in table IV.B6 and in figure IV.B4. The

net effect of actual experience in 1998 was that there were roughly 1/2 percent more Federal SSI

recipients at the end of 1998 than estimated for the 1998 Annual Report.

 Figure IV.B3.—SSI Federally-Administered Terminations by Age Group, Calendar Years 1980-2025

[In thousands]

Table IV.B6.—SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status as of December, 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 )

1975. . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,869 2,025 3,893

1976. . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,932 1,867 3,799

1977. . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,013 1,765 3,778

1978. . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,069 1,686 3,755

1979. . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,094 1,593 3,687

1980. . . 188 500 351 750 342 17 609 925 2,149 1,533 3,682

1981. . . 194 514 349 720 366 17 541 888 2,160 1,430 3,590

1982. . . 191 517 346 683 386 21 459 871 2,144 1,329 3,473

1983. . . 198 555 366 692 412 28 449 890 2,250 1,339 3,590

1984. . . 210 595 393 700 406 48 463 884 2,352 1,347 3,699

1985. . . 226 634 426 717 402 72 462 860 2,477 1,322 3,799

1986. . . 240 688 475 739 397 91 465 827 2,630 1,291 3,922

1987. . . 249 717 524 756 392 113 464 804 2,751 1,268 4,019

1988. . . 254 738 564 774 387 127 468 777 2,844 1,245 4,089

1989. . . 263 757 613 799 382 145 488 760 2,959 1,247 4,206

1990. . . 306 788 677 840 389 156 508 749 3,156 1,257 4,412

1991. . . 395 833 769 897 390 166 542 736 3,451 1,279 4,730

1992. . . 555 920 877 970 402 173 577 727 3,898 1,304 5,202

1993. . . 721 990 979 1,034 410 179 604 720 4,312 1,324 5,636

1994. . . 839 1,032 1,071 1,089 425 182 610 716 4,638 1,326 5,965

1995. . . 915 1,058 1,150 1,134 435 188 601 713 4,880 1,315 6,194

1996. . . 954 1,066 1,198 1,176 444 192 586 711 5,029 1,296 6,326

1997. . . 878 1,039 1,196 1,198 457 193 547 704 4,960 1,251 6,212

1998. . . 885 1,038 1,238 1,243 464 197 521 705 5,063 1,226 6,289

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

35-49

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

Historical Estimated

75 or older
33

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Estimated:

1999. . . 896 1,028 1,272 1,281 479 196 500 704 5,152 1,204 6,356

2000. . . 915 1,013 1,286 1,310 489 198 473 706 5,211 1,179 6,390

2001. . . 937 1,001 1,290 1,341 500 197 446 708 5,265 1,154 6,419

2002. . . 958 993 1,285 1,373 510 199 423 708 5,319 1,132 6,450

2003. . . 976 990 1,277 1,407 520 202 404 706 5,374 1,111 6,484

2004. . . 998 984 1,265 1,445 527 205 389 703 5,424 1,091 6,515

2005. . . 1,019 980 1,249 1,483 533 209 373 701 5,473 1,074 6,547

2006. . . 1,037 980 1,228 1,520 541 210 362 696 5,517 1,059 6,575

2007. . . 1,054 986 1,202 1,552 553 213 353 691 5,560 1,045 6,605

2008. . . 1,070 996 1,176 1,584 566 214 348 685 5,606 1,033 6,639

2009. . . 1,084 1,008 1,149 1,619 575 217 353 672 5,652 1,025 6,677

2010. . . 1,098 1,018 1,123 1,657 580 220 359 661 5,697 1,020 6,716

2011. . . 1,111 1,028 1,101 1,681 597 223 367 647 5,740 1,014 6,754

2012. . . 1,122 1,037 1,080 1,695 620 227 377 635 5,782 1,012 6,794

2013. . . 1,132 1,047 1,062 1,713 638 231 388 624 5,823 1,013 6,836

2014. . . 1,141 1,058 1,046 1,727 657 233 402 615 5,863 1,017 6,880

2015. . . 1,146 1,071 1,037 1,737 675 236 417 606 5,902 1,024 6,925

2016. . . 1,149 1,085 1,032 1,742 693 239 432 600 5,939 1,032 6,971

2017. . . 1,156 1,094 1,030 1,741 710 244 444 598 5,974 1,042 7,016

2018. . . 1,163 1,103 1,027 1,737 728 249 456 596 6,007 1,053 7,060

2019. . . 1,170 1,112 1,024 1,731 748 252 472 594 6,038 1,066 7,104

2020. . . 1,177 1,120 1,021 1,724 770 254 490 591 6,066 1,081 7,147

2021. . . 1,183 1,127 1,021 1,712 787 261 502 598 6,091 1,100 7,191

2022. . . 1,189 1,133 1,027 1,692 801 271 511 611 6,113 1,122 7,235

2023. . . 1,195 1,137 1,037 1,669 816 279 522 621 6,133 1,143 7,276

 1 Data not available.

 2 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

 Figure IV.B4.—SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status, by Age Group, 

as of December, 1980-2025

[In thousands]

Table IV.B6.—SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status as of December, 1974-2023 (Cont.)

[In thousands]

Year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

35-49

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

75 or older

Historical Estimated
1999 SSI Annual Report

34

As illustrated in figure IV.B4, the implementation of Public Law 104-121 and Public Law 104-193

resulted in a decline in the Federal recipient population from 1996 to 1997. Beginning in 1998, the

Federal SSI recipient population resumed growing and is expected to continue growing at a modest

rate, attaining its 1996 level later in 1999. In order to place this projected growth in the context of

overall population growth, table IV.B7 and figure IV.B5 present Federal SSI recipients as percentages

of selected Social Security Area population totals. For the totals shown in this presentation, the percentages are calculated using the population age group totals corresponding to the age groups in the

Federal recipient categories. Because the ratios for the separate recipient categories are computed as

percentages of differing base populations, the percentage for the total SSI recipient population is not

the arithmetic sum of the percentages for the respective recipient categories.

Table IV.B7.—SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status as a Percentage of 

Selected Social Security Area Population Totals, as of December, 1975-2023 

Year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled1

 1 Blind or disabled recipients as a percentage of the total Social Security Area population.

Aged 2

 2 Aged recipients as a percentage of the 65 or older Social Security Area population.

All 3

 3 Total recipients as a percentage of the total Social Security Area population. Totals do not equal sums of components due to overlapping populations.

Historical data:

1975. . . ( 4 )

 4 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 0.83 8.62 1.73

1976. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) .85 7.76 1.67

1977. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) .88 7.16 1.65

1978. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) .89 6.68 1.62

1979. . . ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) ( 4 ) .90 6.17 1.58

1980. . . 0.29 0.70 0.91 2.19 2.16 0.17 3.84 8.78 .91 5.82 1.56

1981. . . .30 .72 .87 2.10 2.27 .16 3.36 8.20 .91 5.31 1.50

1982. . . .29 .71 .83 1.99 2.35 .19 2.80 7.79 .89 4.82 1.44

1983. . . .30 .76 .85 2.03 2.47 .24 2.70 7.75 .92 4.76 1.47

1984. . . .32 .81 .88 2.06 2.40 .40 2.74 7.49 .96 4.69 1.50

1985. . . .34 .87 .92 2.11 2.33 .59 2.68 7.11 1.00 4.51 1.53

1986. . . .36 .94 1.00 2.20 2.26 .74 2.64 6.67 1.05 4.31 1.56

1987. . . .38 .98 1.06 2.25 2.20 .89 2.60 6.33 1.09 4.15 1.59

1988. . . .38 1.00 1.10 2.30 2.14 .98 2.59 5.97 1.11 4.00 1.60

1989. . . .39 1.03 1.16 2.38 2.08 1.08 2.66 5.70 1.14 3.94 1.63

1990. . . .45 1.09 1.24 2.49 2.10 1.13 2.74 5.46 1.21 3.90 1.69

1991. . . .57 1.16 1.36 2.63 2.09 1.18 2.90 5.23 1.31 3.91 1.79

1992. . . .79 1.30 1.51 2.81 2.13 1.20 3.06 5.04 1.46 3.92 1.95

1993. . . 1.02 1.41 1.64 2.94 2.16 1.21 3.19 4.88 1.60 3.93 2.09

1994. . . 1.17 1.49 1.75 3.05 2.23 1.21 3.20 4.76 1.71 3.89 2.20

1995. . . 1.27 1.55 1.83 3.13 2.29 1.22 3.16 4.64 1.78 3.82 2.26

1996. . . 1.31 1.57 1.87 3.15 2.34 1.22 3.09 4.52 1.82 3.74 2.29

1997. . . 1.20 1.54 1.84 3.08 2.43 1.20 2.91 4.38 1.78 3.59 2.22

1998. . . 1.21 1.55 1.88 3.08 2.48 1.20 2.79 4.30 1.80 3.50 2.23

Estimated:

1999. . . 1.22 1.54 1.91 3.06 2.58 1.18 2.70 4.22 1.81 3.42 2.24

2000. . . 1.24 1.52 1.92 3.02 2.64 1.17 2.55 4.16 1.82 3.32 2.23

2001. . . 1.27 1.50 1.91 2.98 2.70 1.15 2.41 4.12 1.82 3.23 2.22

2002. . . 1.30 1.48 1.91 2.94 2.76 1.14 2.29 4.06 1.83 3.15 2.22

2003. . . 1.32 1.47 1.90 2.91 2.80 1.15 2.18 4.00 1.83 3.07 2.21

2004. . . 1.35 1.45 1.88 2.88 2.82 1.15 2.08 3.94 1.83 2.99 2.20

2005. . . 1.38 1.44 1.86 2.86 2.82 1.16 1.97 3.90 1.84 2.91 2.20

2006. . . 1.40 1.44 1.84 2.83 2.81 1.16 1.88 3.85 1.84 2.84 2.19

2007. . . 1.43 1.43 1.82 2.80 2.79 1.17 1.78 3.81 1.84 2.75 2.18

2008. . . 1.45 1.42 1.80 2.78 2.76 1.18 1.69 3.78 1.84 2.67 2.18

2009. . . 1.48 1.42 1.78 2.76 2.71 1.19 1.67 3.69 1.84 2.60 2.18

2010. . . 1.50 1.42 1.77 2.75 2.67 1.21 1.65 3.61 1.84 2.55 2.17

2011. . . 1.52 1.42 1.75 2.73 2.63 1.22 1.62 3.53 1.85 2.47 2.17

2012. . . 1.53 1.42 1.74 2.71 2.59 1.23 1.58 3.44 1.85 2.39 2.17

2013. . . 1.55 1.42 1.72 2.70 2.55 1.24 1.55 3.36 1.85 2.32 2.17

2014. . . 1.56 1.43 1.71 2.70 2.52 1.24 1.54 3.27 1.85 2.27 2.17

2015. . . 1.56 1.44 1.69 2.69 2.48 1.24 1.54 3.19 1.85 2.22 2.17

2016. . . 1.56 1.45 1.68 2.69 2.45 1.24 1.53 3.11 1.85 2.17 2.17

2017. . . 1.57 1.46 1.67 2.68 2.43 1.24 1.52 3.03 1.84 2.13 2.17

2018. . . 1.57 1.47 1.66 2.68 2.41 1.23 1.51 2.94 1.84 2.09 2.17

2019. . . 1.58 1.48 1.65 2.67 2.39 1.22 1.51 2.86 1.84 2.05 2.17

2020. . . 1.58 1.49 1.64 2.67 2.37 1.20 1.51 2.79 1.84 2.01 2.17

2021. . . 1.59 1.50 1.63 2.66 2.35 1.19 1.50 2.73 1.84 1.99 2.17

2022. . . 1.59 1.51 1.63 2.65 2.35 1.18 1.49 2.67 1.83 1.97 2.17

2023. . . 1.60 1.51 1.63 2.65 2.33 1.17 1.49 2.61 1.83 1.94 2.17
35

1999 SSI Annual Report

Table IV.B7 indicates that the number of persons receiving Federal SSI payments declined as a percentage of the total Social Security Area population from the inception of the program through the

early 1980s. In 1983, the number of Federal SSI recipients started increasing as a percentage of the

total population, and continued to increase through 1996. The number of Federal SSI recipients as a

percentage of the total population declined in 1997 due to factors described previously, but is expected

to remain fairly constant as a percentage of the total population throughout the remainder of the projection period. 

The various subcategories of Federal SSI recipients, however, follow significantly different growth

patterns in relationship to their respective population totals. The aged Federal SSI recipient population declines steadily as a percentage of the 65 or older population. In contrast, except for the drop

due to the eligibility redeterminations in 1997 mandated by Public Law 104-193, the number of blind

or disabled children receiving Federal SSI payments increases steadily as a percentage of the under

age 18 population, with the increase being quite steep in the early 1990s. The total blind or disabled

Federal SSI recipient population as a percentage of the total population remained fairly level until

the early 1980s when it started increasing and continued to increase through 1996. After the modest

drop in 1997 due to the implementation of legislation described in other sections the number of blind

or disabled persons receiving Federal SSI payments is estimated to remain fairly level as a percentage of the total population.

Historical and projected numbers of individuals who receive only a Federally-administered State supplement are presented in table IV.B8.

 Figure IV.B5.—SSI Recipients with Federal Benefits in Current-Payment Status as a Percentage of 

Selected Social Security Area Population Age Groups, as of December, 1980-2025

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

10%

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

0-17

18-34

35-49

50-64

65-74

75 or older

Total

Historical Estimated
1999 SSI Annual Report

36

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

The combined numbers of persons receiving either a Federal SSI payment or a Federally-administered State supplement are displayed in table IV.B9.

In examining the recent history of SSI participation and the projections of such participation in the

near future, certain patterns are worth noting. The rapid increase in the total number of SSI participants in the early 1990s is a function of the growth in the numbers of disabled adults and children.

The growth in the numbers of children receiving SSI resulted in large part from the Supreme

Court decision in the case of Sullivan v. Zebley, which greatly expanded the criteria used for deterTable IV.B8.—SSI Recipients with Federally-Administered State Supplementary Benefits Only,

in Current-Payment Status as of December, 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . . ( 1 )

 1 Data not available.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 )

1975. . . . ( 2 )

 2 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 139 282 421

1976. . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 156 280 437

1977. . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 174 286 460

1978. . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 180 282 462

1979. . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 184 278 462

1980. . . . 2 20 26 82 52 2 112 162 185 274 460

1981. . . . 1 19 26 75 58 2 94 155 181 248 429

1982. . . . 1 18 23 68 53 2 82 137 165 219 384

1983. . . . 1 17 19 50 44 4 65 111 136 176 312

1984. . . . 1 18 23 50 47 7 68 116 147 184 331

1985. . . . 1 21 28 53 45 8 67 115 157 182 339

1986. . . . 1 23 31 55 45 11 66 116 166 182 348

1987. . . . 1 26 36 60 43 12 72 115 178 187 366

1988. . . . 1 26 42 59 44 14 74 114 187 188 375

1989. . . . 2 28 45 60 45 16 76 115 195 192 387

1990. . . . 2 31 54 60 44 17 82 116 208 197 405

1991. . . . 2 29 54 59 42 17 78 108 203 186 389

1992. . . . 2 29 55 59 37 16 70 97 197 167 364

1993. . . . 2 29 58 59 34 15 64 88 197 151 348

1994. . . . 2 28 59 56 32 14 59 81 192 139 331

1995. . . . 3 25 59 56 32 14 54 77 188 131 320

1996. . . . 2 21 54 53 29 13 49 68 172 116 288

1997. . . . 2 20 55 53 29 13 46 65 172 111 283

1998. . . . 2 18 54 55 28 13 43 63 171 106 277

Estimated:

1999. . . . 2 17 53 56 27 12 43 62 166 105 272

2000. . . . 2 16 52 56 27 11 41 63 164 104 268

2001. . . . 2 16 51 57 26 11 40 63 163 102 265

2002. . . . 2 16 50 58 26 11 38 62 163 100 263

2003. . . . 2 16 49 58 26 11 36 62 162 98 260

2004. . . . 2 15 48 59 26 10 35 61 161 96 257

2005. . . . 2 15 47 60 26 10 33 60 160 94 254

2006. . . . 2 14 45 61 26 10 33 60 159 93 252

2007. . . . 2 14 44 61 26 10 32 60 158 92 249

2008. . . . 2 14 42 62 26 10 32 59 156 91 247

2009. . . . 2 14 41 62 26 10 32 58 155 91 246

2010. . . . 2 14 39 63 26 10 33 57 154 90 245

2011. . . . 2 14 38 63 27 10 34 56 153 90 244

2012. . . . 2 14 37 63 27 10 35 56 152 91 243

2013. . . . 2 14 35 62 28 9 37 55 151 92 243

2014. . . . 2 14 34 62 28 9 38 55 150 93 243

2015. . . . 2 14 34 62 28 9 40 55 149 95 244

2016. . . . 2 14 33 61 29 9 42 55 149 97 245

2017. . . . 3 14 33 61 29 9 43 56 148 99 247

2018. . . . 3 14 32 60 29 9 45 57 147 102 248

2019. . . . 3 14 32 59 30 9 47 58 146 105 250

2020. . . . 3 14 31 58 30 9 49 59 145 108 253

2021. . . . 3 14 31 57 30 9 51 60 144 111 255

2022. . . . 3 14 30 56 30 9 52 63 142 115 257

2023. . . . 3 14 30 54 31 9 54 65 141 118 260
37

1999 SSI Annual Report

mining disability for children. The growth in the numbers of disabled adults is a more complicated

phenomenon which is still not completely understood. However, extensive research conducted under

contract to SSA and the Department of Health and Human Services suggested that this growth was

the result of a combination of factors including (1) demographic trends, (2) a downturn in the economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, (3) long-term structural changes in the economy, and

(4) changes in other support programs (in particular the reduction or elimination of general assistance programs in certain States). The recent modest decline in program participation reflects the

combined effects of recent legislation described in previous sections, along with changes in some of

the factors mentioned above.

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.B9.—SSI Recipients with Federally-Administered Benefits in Current-Payment Status 

as of December, 1974-2023

[In thousands]

Year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . . ( 1 )

 1 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 1,710 2,286 3,996

1975. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 2,007 2,307 4,314

1976. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 2,088 2,148 4,236

1977. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 2,187 2,051 4,238

1978. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 2,249 1,968 4,217

1979. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 2,278 1,872 4,150

1980. . . . 190 521 377 833 393 20 721 1,086 2,334 1,808 4,142

1981. . . . 195 533 375 795 424 19 635 1,043 2,341 1,678 4,019

1982. . . . 192 535 369 751 439 23 541 1,008 2,309 1,549 3,858

1983. . . . 198 572 386 742 456 32 514 1,001 2,386 1,515 3,901

1984. . . . 212 613 417 751 453 54 531 999 2,499 1,530 4,029

1985. . . . 227 655 454 769 447 80 530 975 2,634 1,504 4,138

1986. . . . 241 711 506 794 442 102 531 942 2,796 1,473 4,269

1987. . . . 251 743 560 816 436 124 536 920 2,930 1,455 4,385

1988. . . . 255 764 606 833 431 142 543 891 3,030 1,433 4,464

1989. . . . 265 785 658 859 427 160 564 875 3,154 1,439 4,593

1990. . . . 309 819 731 900 432 172 589 865 3,363 1,454 4,817

1991. . . . 397 863 823 956 432 183 620 845 3,654 1,465 5,118

1992. . . . 556 949 932 1,029 440 189 647 824 4,095 1,471 5,566

1993. . . . 723 1,019 1,036 1,093 445 194 667 808 4,509 1,475 5,984

1994. . . . 841 1,060 1,130 1,146 457 196 669 797 4,830 1,466 6,296

1995. . . . 917 1,083 1,209 1,190 467 202 656 790 5,068 1,446 6,514

1996. . . . 955 1,087 1,252 1,229 472 205 634 778 5,201 1,413 6,614

1997. . . . 880 1,059 1,251 1,252 486 205 593 770 5,133 1,362 6,495

1998. . . . 887 1,056 1,292 1,298 492 209 564 768 5,234 1,332 6,566

Estimated:

1999. . . . 898 1,045 1,325 1,337 506 208 543 766 5,318 1,309 6,628

2000. . . . 916 1,029 1,338 1,366 515 209 515 769 5,374 1,283 6,658

2001. . . . 939 1,017 1,341 1,397 526 208 486 771 5,428 1,256 6,684

2002. . . . 960 1,009 1,336 1,430 537 210 461 771 5,481 1,232 6,713

2003. . . . 978 1,005 1,327 1,466 546 213 441 768 5,536 1,208 6,744

2004. . . . 1,000 999 1,313 1,504 553 215 423 764 5,585 1,187 6,772

2005. . . . 1,021 995 1,296 1,543 559 219 407 762 5,633 1,168 6,801

2006. . . . 1,040 994 1,274 1,580 567 220 395 756 5,676 1,151 6,827

2007. . . . 1,056 1,000 1,246 1,613 580 223 385 751 5,718 1,136 6,854

2008. . . . 1,072 1,010 1,218 1,646 593 224 380 744 5,762 1,124 6,887

2009. . . . 1,086 1,022 1,190 1,681 601 227 385 730 5,807 1,116 6,923

2010. . . . 1,100 1,032 1,163 1,720 606 230 392 718 5,851 1,110 6,961

2011. . . . 1,113 1,042 1,138 1,744 623 233 401 704 5,893 1,105 6,998

2012. . . . 1,124 1,051 1,116 1,758 647 237 412 691 5,934 1,103 7,037

2013. . . . 1,135 1,061 1,097 1,775 665 240 425 680 5,974 1,105 7,079

2014. . . . 1,143 1,072 1,081 1,790 685 243 440 670 6,013 1,110 7,123

2015. . . . 1,148 1,084 1,071 1,799 703 245 457 661 6,051 1,118 7,169

2016. . . . 1,151 1,099 1,065 1,803 721 248 474 655 6,087 1,128 7,216

2017. . . . 1,158 1,108 1,062 1,801 739 253 488 653 6,122 1,141 7,263

2018. . . . 1,166 1,117 1,059 1,797 757 258 501 653 6,154 1,154 7,308

2019. . . . 1,173 1,126 1,055 1,790 778 261 519 652 6,184 1,170 7,354

2020. . . . 1,179 1,134 1,052 1,782 800 263 539 650 6,211 1,189 7,399

2021. . . . 1,186 1,141 1,051 1,769 817 270 553 658 6,234 1,211 7,446

2022. . . . 1,192 1,146 1,057 1,747 832 281 563 674 6,255 1,237 7,492

2023. . . . 1,198 1,151 1,067 1,723 846 288 576 686 6,274 1,262 7,536
1999 SSI Annual Report

38

C. FEDERAL PAYMENTS UNDER SSI

In order to estimate future amounts of Federal expenditures under SSI, the projected Federal benefit

rates shown in table IV.A2 are first modified to reflect actual payment levels, taking into account historical and projected levels of adjustments for other actual or deemed income. Combining these actual

payment levels with the projected numbers of persons receiving Federal SSI payments yields estimates of the amounts of Federal SSI payments. Historical amounts of such payments on a calendar

year basis are shown in table IV.C1. For purposes of this presentation, these payment amounts are

computed on a cash-flow basis consistent with the concepts used to define SSI obligations for the Federal Budget. As a result, for months after January 1978, SSI payments due on the first of the month

are tabulated in the previous month, if the first of the month falls on a weekend or Federal holiday.1 

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Using this cash-flow concept causes these payments to differ from similar amounts shown in other

Social Security Administration publications, such as the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social

Security Bulletin, in two main ways. First, the payments shown in the Annual Statistical Supplement

are tabulated for the month the payment is due, while the amounts shown in table IV.C1 are tabulated for the month they are actually paid. In particular, since January 1 of each year is a Federal

holiday, SSI payments due on January 1 of years 1979 and later are actually paid in December of the

previous year. Thus, for example, the calendar year 1998 payment amounts shown in table IV.C1

 1 Public Law 95-216, the Social Security Amendments of 1977, enacted December 20, 1977, added a statutory requirement that SSI payments,

which are normally due on the first of the month, be delivered early when the normal delivery date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday.

When the first of the month falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, all payments due on that day are paid in the previous month. Payments presented on a cash-flow basis are tabulated according to the month in which they are actually paid.

Table IV.C1.—SSI Federal Payments in Current Dollars, 1 Calendar Years 1974-99

[In millions]

 1 Total historical payments for 1974-77 agree with those presented in the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin. Total historical

payments for 1978-83 are estimated.

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

1974 . . . . ( 2 )

 2 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) $2,050 $1,783 $3,833

1975 . . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,471 1,843 4,314

1976 . . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,727 1,785 4,512

1977 . . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 2,966 1,737 4,703

1978 3 . . 

 3 Includes 13 months of payments since payments due on January 1, 1978 and January 1, 1979 were both paid in calendar year 1978.

( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3,449 1,847 5,296

1979 . . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 3,546 1,760 5,306

1980 . . . . $397 $931 $731 $1,420 $544 $28 $642 $1,230 4,051 1,872 5,923

1981 . . . . 458 1,079 821 1,542 654 32 643 1,320 4,586 1,963 6,549

1982 . . . . 512 1,211 883 1,590 704 38 630 1,364 4,937 1,994 6,931

1983 . . . . 574 1,372 985 1,704 774 58 624 1,440 5,466 2,064 7,530

1984 . . . . 659 1,576 1,128 1,835 836 102 670 1,512 6,136 2,182 8,318

1985 . . . . 736 1,709 1,250 1,924 833 160 699 1,499 6,611 2,198 8,809

1986 . . . . 831 1,929 1,452 2,043 848 209 731 1,479 7,312 2,210 9,522

1987 . . . . 900 2,081 1,618 2,157 846 259 765 1,444 7,860 2,210 10,069

1988 . . . . 955 2,228 1,818 2,303 874 304 814 1,449 8,481 2,263 10,744

1989 . . . . 1,025 2,431 2,048 2,481 936 366 881 1,479 9,286 2,361 11,647

1990 . . . . 1,201 2,660 2,395 2,792 969 407 987 1,532 10,423 2,519 12,943

1991 . . . . 1,678 3,129 2,966 3,305 1,060 463 1,169 1,637 12,601 2,806 15,407

1992 . . . . 3,154 3,900 3,577 3,790 1,124 487 1,303 1,690 16,033 2,993 19,026

1993 . . . . 3,909 4,465 4,164 4,188 1,208 513 1,471 1,759 18,447 3,230 21,677

1994 . . . . 4,167 4,504 4,666 4,533 1,274 538 1,566 1,814 19,682 3,380 23,063

1995 . . . . 4,657 4,777 5,155 4,896 1,357 565 1,599 1,900 21,407 3,499 24,906

1996 . . . . 4,947 5,004 5,614 5,298 1,427 590 1,643 1,977 22,880 3,621 26,501

1997 . . . . 4,920 5,031 5,564 5,410 1,505 614 1,586 2,046 23,044 3,632 26,675

1998 . . . . 4,965 5,150 5,901 5,777 1,588 635 1,542 2,136 24,017 3,678 27,695

1999 4 . . 

 4 Partially estimated.

5,032 5,189 6,202 6,148 1,670 654 1,494 2,199 24,894 3,693 28,587
39

1999 SSI Annual Report

reflect payments made in January-December, 1998, and include the payments due on

January 1, 1999 (which were actually paid in December, 1998), but not the payments due on

January 1, 1998 (which were actually paid in December, 1997). Second, beginning in 1991, SSI obligations as accounted for in the Federal Budget are not reduced for certain recovered overpayments

which are remitted directly to the Department of the Treasury. The payments shown in the Annual

Statistical Supplement continue to report an amount which is reduced by such overpayment recoveries as was done for the Budget prior to 1991.

Corresponding amounts of SSI outlays on a fiscal year 1 basis are presented in table IV.C2 for fiscal

years 1978-99. Fiscal years prior to 1978 are omitted from table IV.C2 since historical SSI payment

amounts on a fiscal year basis for years prior to 1978 are not readily available. As with the calendar

year figures, these fiscal year amounts are shown on a cash-flow basis. Consequently, fiscal years

1979 and later may contain 11, 12, or 13 months of payments, depending on whether October 1 of the

current and succeeding fiscal years falls on a weekend. 2 Fiscal year 1978 contains 13 months of payments.

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

When projecting dollar amounts over longer periods of time, the changing value of the dollar due to

inflation can make meaningful comparisons of such amounts difficult. For this reason, in projecting

SSI expenditures for 25 years, some means of removing inflation is generally desirable. Several economic series are available to allow current dollars to be adjusted for changes in prices, wages, and

 1 Fiscal years 1977 and later cover the period from October 1 of the previous calendar year to September 30 of the year. For example,

fiscal year 1998 payments include payments made from October 1, 1997 through September 30, 1998.

 2 Generally, for fiscal years 1979 and later, the number of months of payments included in the fiscal year is:

.

 11 months if October 1 of the current, but not the succeeding fiscal year falls on a weekend;

.

 12 months if October 1 of both the current and succeeding fiscal years falls during the week (all payments made in the month due);

.

 12 months if October 1 of both the current and succeeding fiscal years falls on a weekend (both payments due on October 1 paid in preceding fiscal year); and

.

 13 months if October 1 of the succeeding, but not current, fiscal year falls on a weekend.

An exception to this general rule for October 1, 2000, was enacted in Public Law 105-33. Payments due on that Sunday will actually be paid on

Monday, October 2, rather than on Friday, September 29.

Table IV.C2.—SSI Federal Payments in Current Dollars, Fiscal Years 1978-99

[In millions]

Fiscal

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

1978 . . . . ( 1 )

 1 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) $3,386 $1,848 $5,234

1979 2 . . . 

 2 Payment due on October 1 of fiscal year paid in previous fiscal year.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 3,172 1,610 4,782

1980 . . . . $372 $877 $698 $1,360 $506 $26 $629 $1,184 3,840 1,813 5,653

1981 . . . . 442 1,039 797 1,508 625 31 647 1,307 4,442 1,954 6,396

1982 . . . . 499 1,181 861 1,570 693 36 640 1,356 4,840 1,996 6,836

1983 . . . . 596 1,416 1,024 1,783 806 56 660 1,510 5,680 2,170 7,850

1984 . . . . 588 1,411 1,005 1,665 760 85 613 1,391 5,514 2,004 7,517

1985 . . . . 713 1,662 1,215 1,895 828 145 691 1,502 6,459 2,193 8,652

1986 . . . . 800 1,864 1,386 1,995 840 196 723 1,487 7,080 2,209 9,290

1987 . . . . 880 2,030 1,565 2,119 845 242 755 1,448 7,681 2,203 9,884

1988 . . . . 1,009 2,356 1,898 2,425 932 316 860 1,559 8,935 2,419 11,354

1989 . . . . 1,012 2,378 1,997 2,452 910 345 862 1,473 9,094 2,335 11,430

1990 . . . . 1,039 2,378 2,115 2,479 876 362 879 1,394 9,247 2,273 11,521

1991 . . . . 1,519 2,975 2,772 3,141 1,032 447 1,120 1,608 11,886 2,728 14,614

1992 . . . . 2,684 3,621 3,398 3,653 1,099 476 1,269 1,680 14,932 2,949 17,881

1993 . . . . 3,817 4,377 3,977 4,033 1,175 502 1,420 1,730 17,880 3,150 21,029

1994 . . . . 4,328 4,771 4,866 4,756 1,344 569 1,659 1,930 20,635 3,588 24,223

1995 . . . . 4,554 4,719 5,031 4,822 1,341 560 1,596 1,884 21,027 3,480 24,507

1996 . . . . 4,543 4,595 5,123 4,830 1,305 540 1,510 1,808 20,936 3,317 24,254

1997 . . . . 4,933 5,004 5,529 5,340 1,478 606 1,602 2,027 22,890 3,629 26,519

1998 . . . . 4,915 5,114 5,816 5,688 1,567 630 1,548 2,110 23,729 3,658 27,387

1999 3 . . . 

 3 Partially estimated.

4,979 5,161 6,102 5,997 1,626 642 1,515 2,162 24,507 3,677 28,184
1999 SSI Annual Report

40

certain other aspects of economic growth during the projection period. The selection of a particular

index for adjustment of current dollars depends upon a determination as to which index provides the

most useful standard for adjusting dollar amounts over time, to create values that are appropriately

comparable.

One of the most common forms of standardization is based on some measure of change in the prices of

consumer goods. One such price index is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and

Clerical Workers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the index used to determine

annual increases in the SSI Federal benefit rate as described in table IV.A2, and for this reason is an

appropriate means of standardizing projected SSI costs over time. Constant-dollar values of Federal

SSI benefit payments (those adjusted by the CPI) are presented in table IV.C3 for both the historical

period, calendar years 1974-98, along with the full 25-year projection period, 1999-2023. This same

information is presented in graphical form in figure IV.C1.

The future growth in the “constant dollar” estimates is attributable primarily to the underlying

growth in the U.S. population as shown in table IV.A1, since, after the spike in terminations in 1997,

the SSI recipient population is projected to remain fairly constant as a percentage of the total U.S.

population. However, a small part of the growth in estimated payments is due to some underlying

real growth in the assumed average SSI benefit. This results from an estimated increase in the disabled child recipients and a decrease in aged recipients as a percentage of the total SSI recipient population, along with the fact that disabled children typically have a much larger SSI benefit than do

aged recipients. 1 

 1 Disabled children typically have higher monthly Federal payment amounts because they have, on average, much less countable income than do

adult recipients.

 Figure IV.C1.—SSI Federal Payments, by Age Group, in Constant 1999 Dollars, Calendar Years 1980-2025

[In billions]

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

Constant 1999 dollars -- billions

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

75 or older

Historical Estimated

35-49
41

1999 SSI Annual Report

Notes:

1. Historical split among age groups is estimated.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.C3.—SSI Federal Payments in Constant 1999 Dollars, Calendar Years 1974-2023

[In millions]

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974. . . . ( 1 )

 1 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) $6,726 $5,840 $12,565

1975. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 7,431 5,543 12,974

1976. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 7,757 5,077 12,834

1977. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 7,924 4,641 12,565

1978 2 . .

 2 Includes 13 months of payments since payments due on January 1, 1978 and January 1, 1979 were both paid in calendar year 1978.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 8,554 4,581 13,135

1979. . . . ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 7,892 3,917 11,810

1980. . . . $779 $1,827 $1,435 $2,787 $1,068 $55 $1,260 $2,414 7,951 3,674 11,624

1981. . . . 816 1,920 1,461 2,745 1,165 56 1,144 2,351 8,164 3,495 11,658

1982. . . . 860 2,033 1,482 2,669 1,182 64 1,057 2,290 8,290 3,348 11,638

1983. . . . 935 2,237 1,606 2,778 1,261 94 1,017 2,347 8,911 3,364 12,275

1984. . . . 1,038 2,482 1,777 2,890 1,317 160 1,056 2,381 9,664 3,437 13,101

1985. . . . 1,120 2,600 1,902 2,929 1,268 243 1,064 2,281 10,062 3,345 13,407

1986. . . . 1,245 2,890 2,176 3,061 1,270 313 1,095 2,216 10,955 3,310 14,265

1987. . . . 1,301 3,009 2,340 3,119 1,223 375 1,107 2,089 11,367 3,196 14,563

1988. . . . 1,328 3,098 2,528 3,202 1,215 423 1,132 2,015 11,794 3,147 14,941

1989. . . . 1,361 3,226 2,717 3,292 1,243 485 1,169 1,963 12,323 3,133 15,456

1990. . . . 1,514 3,355 3,021 3,522 1,222 513 1,245 1,932 13,147 3,177 16,324

1991. . . . 2,033 3,790 3,593 4,004 1,285 560 1,416 1,984 15,266 3,400 18,665

1992. . . . 3,713 4,592 4,211 4,462 1,323 573 1,534 1,990 18,875 3,524 22,399

1993. . . . 4,476 5,112 4,768 4,795 1,383 587 1,684 2,014 21,122 3,698 24,820

1994. . . . 4,656 5,033 5,214 5,066 1,424 602 1,750 2,027 21,994 3,777 25,771

1995. . . . 5,058 5,188 5,599 5,317 1,474 614 1,737 2,064 23,250 3,801 27,051

1996. . . . 5,223 5,283 5,927 5,593 1,507 623 1,735 2,088 24,157 3,823 27,980

1997. . . . 5,079 5,193 5,744 5,585 1,553 634 1,637 2,112 23,789 3,749 27,539

1998. . . . 5,058 5,247 6,012 5,886 1,618 647 1,571 2,176 24,468 3,747 28,215

Estimated:

1999. . . . 5,032 5,189 6,202 6,148 1,670 654 1,494 2,199 24,894 3,693 28,587

2000. . . . 5,113 5,079 6,250 6,271 1,688 653 1,419 2,216 25,053 3,635 28,687

2001. . . . 5,221 5,023 6,289 6,438 1,725 651 1,340 2,225 25,346 3,565 28,911

2002. . . . 5,380 4,985 6,285 6,611 1,761 658 1,275 2,232 25,679 3,507 29,186

2003. . . . 5,514 4,966 6,257 6,790 1,791 667 1,230 2,251 25,984 3,480 29,464

2004. . . . 5,632 4,938 6,206 6,983 1,811 673 1,186 2,251 26,243 3,437 29,680

2005. . . . 5,754 4,924 6,140 7,185 1,830 685 1,143 2,259 26,518 3,402 29,919

2006. . . . 5,873 4,940 6,062 7,388 1,861 691 1,114 2,260 26,815 3,374 30,189

2007. . . . 5,971 4,980 5,950 7,564 1,906 699 1,084 2,246 27,070 3,331 30,400

2008. . . . 6,064 5,038 5,829 7,734 1,950 703 1,070 2,231 27,319 3,300 30,619

2009. . . . 6,154 5,103 5,710 7,919 1,977 712 1,087 2,198 27,575 3,285 30,860

2010. . . . 6,248 5,164 5,597 8,115 1,999 722 1,109 2,170 27,845 3,279 31,125

2011. . . . 6,316 5,220 5,497 8,250 2,062 732 1,137 2,138 28,077 3,275 31,352

2012. . . . 6,377 5,283 5,413 8,351 2,148 745 1,171 2,108 28,317 3,278 31,595

2013. . . . 6,434 5,343 5,339 8,458 2,215 759 1,209 2,083 28,549 3,292 31,841

2014. . . . 6,483 5,409 5,275 8,548 2,285 767 1,256 2,061 28,768 3,318 32,085

2015. . . . 6,526 5,482 5,243 8,614 2,353 776 1,308 2,045 28,995 3,353 32,347

2016. . . . 6,554 5,558 5,227 8,645 2,418 786 1,358 2,033 29,188 3,391 32,579

2017. . . . 6,604 5,613 5,229 8,656 2,482 804 1,399 2,035 29,388 3,435 32,823

2018. . . . 6,659 5,674 5,232 8,659 2,553 822 1,442 2,044 29,599 3,486 33,084

2019. . . . 6,695 5,726 5,226 8,648 2,630 834 1,495 2,045 29,759 3,539 33,299

2020. . . . 6,731 5,772 5,222 8,630 2,711 844 1,554 2,048 29,910 3,602 33,512

2021. . . . 6,767 5,815 5,236 8,584 2,777 869 1,595 2,079 30,048 3,674 33,722

2022. . . . 6,802 5,853 5,278 8,501 2,834 903 1,625 2,133 30,171 3,758 33,929

2023. . . . 6,835 5,888 5,346 8,407 2,894 929 1,665 2,179 30,300 3,844 34,144
1999 SSI Annual Report

42

Although detailed projections of SSI State supplementary payments are not prepared, historical

information on the amounts of such supplements is presented in tables IV.C4 and IV.C5. These

amounts are consistent with those presented in the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin and are shown only for the two broad recipient categories.

Note: Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.C4.—SSI Federally-Administered State Supplementary Payments in Current Dollars, Calendar Years 1974-98

[In millions]

Calendar year Aged

Blind or

disabled Total

1974. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $631 $632 $1,264

1975. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 674 729 1,403

1976. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635 753 1,388

1977. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627 804 1,431

1978. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636 855 1,491

1979. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661 928 1,590

1980. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757 1,091 1,848

1981. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731 1,108 1,839

1982. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 1,104 1,798

1983. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645 1,066 1,711

1984. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645 1,148 1,792

1985. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 1,278 1,973

1986. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759 1,484 2,243

1987. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 849 1,714 2,563

1988. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 873 1,798 2,671

1989. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 954 2,001 2,955

1990. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,038 2,201 3,239

1991. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999 2,232 3,231

1992. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,023 2,412 3,435

1993. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934 2,336 3,270

1994. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876 2,240 3,116

1995. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864 2,253 3,118

1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833 2,155 2,988

1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824 2,090 2,913

1998 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 1 Split between recipient categories is estimated.

838 2,165 3,003

Table IV.C5.—SSI State-Administered Payments 1 in Current Dollars, Calendar Years 1974-98

[In millions]

 1 Data provided by individual States are partially estimated, and may be incomplete.

Calendar year Aged

Blind or

disabled Total 2

 2 Includes amounts not distributed by recipient category.

1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $89 $49 $149

1975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 74 162

1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 77 166

1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 87 172

1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 88 180

1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 100 207

1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 106 226

1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 113 237

1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 119 276

1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 132 270

1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 152 299

1985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 165 311

1986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 185 340

1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 205 359

1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 224 381

1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 251 419

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 281 466

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 310 529

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 323 550

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 341 566

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 354 585

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 356 590

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 307 539

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 303 681

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 429 808
43

1999 SSI Annual Report

D. FEDERAL SSI PAYMENTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

As mentioned in the previous section, in order to make meaningful comparisons of dollar amounts

projected over long periods of time, it is essential to provide some sort of standardization that

accounts for various aspects of economic growth over the projection period. In that section, one such

set of standardized amounts (“constant dollars”) was presented by adjusting for changes in the CPI

over time. An alternative approach would be to provide some type of relative measure of these

amounts. In the OASDI Trustees Report, such a relative measure of program costs is produced by

comparing the nominal annual outgo to the total earnings in the economy subject to taxation under

the OASDI program. In the case of SSI, a more appropriate measure is produced by comparing estimated annual SSI costs to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP—the total value of goods and services

produced in the United States). In addition to providing an inflation-independent measure of the cost

of the SSI program, this provides a useful perspective on the proportion of the total output of the

U.S. economy needed to provide Federal SSI benefits. As is shown in table IV.D1 and figure IV.D1,

the total cost of the SSI program is projected to decline relative to GDP throughout the projection

period.

Table IV.D1 and figure IV.D1 present a concise summary of Federal expenditures under the SSI program. Following the initial higher costs of the program, total Federal SSI payments during the 1980s

were a fairly constant percentage of GDP (0.21 percent). During the early 1990s, SSI experienced

rather rapid growth (to 0.35 percent of GDP in 1996) due to a combination of factors discussed earlier

in section IV. Welfare reform legislation resulted in a drop in the cost of SSI as a percentage of GDP

in 1997. As mentioned earlier, the estimates prepared for this report project total participation in the

SSI program to remain a stable proportion of the U.S. population. Federal SSI expenditures, after

adjusting for growth in prices, are projected to grow slightly faster than the population due to the

estimated small amount of real growth in the SSI average benefit, as discussed previously in

section IV.C. Since the real growth projected for GDP under the 1999 Trustees Report intermediate

assumptions is greater than the combined effects of increases in SSI participation and the estimated

real increase in the SSI average benefit, Federal SSI payments are projected to continue to decline as

a percentage of GDP over the next 25 years, reaching 0.26 percent of GDP by 2023.

 Figure IV.D1.—SSI Federal Payments, by Age Group, as a Percentage of GDP, Calendar Years 1980-2025

0.00%

0.10%

0.20%

0.30%

0.40%

0.50%

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Calendar year

35-49

65-74

50-64

18-34

0-17

75 or older

Historical Estimated
1999 SSI Annual Report

44

Notes:

1. Historical GDP amounts subject to revision.

2. Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table IV.D1.—SSI Federal Payments as a Percentage of GDP, Calendar Years 1974-2023 

Calendar 

year

Blind or disabled, by age group Aged, by age group Totals

GDP

(In billions) 0-17 18-34 35-49 50-64 65-74

75 or

older 65-74

75 or

older

Blind or

disabled Aged All

Historical data:

1974 . . . $1,497 ( 1 )

 1 Age-specific information for these years not yet available.

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 0.137 0.119 0.256

1975 . . . 1,631 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) .152 .113 .265

1976 . . . 1,819 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) .150 .098 .248

1977 . . . 2,027 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) .146 .086 .232

1978 . . . 2,291 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) .151 .081 .231

1979 . . . 2,558 ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 1 ) .139 .069 .207

1980 . . . 2,784 0.014 0.033 0.026 0.051 0.020 0.001 0.023 0.044 .145 .067 .213

1981 . . . 3,116 .015 .035 .026 .049 .021 .001 .021 .042 .147 .063 .210

1982 . . . 3,242 .016 .037 .027 .049 .022 .001 .019 .042 .152 .061 .214

1983 . . . 3,515 .016 .039 .028 .048 .022 .002 .018 .041 .156 .059 .214

1984 . . . 3,902 .017 .040 .029 .047 .021 .003 .017 .039 .157 .056 .213

1985 . . . 4,181 .018 .041 .030 .046 .020 .004 .017 .036 .158 .053 .211

1986 . . . 4,422 .019 .044 .033 .046 .019 .005 .017 .033 .165 .050 .215

1987 . . . 4,692 .019 .044 .034 .046 .018 .006 .016 .031 .168 .047 .215

1988 . . . 5,050 .019 .044 .036 .046 .017 .006 .016 .029 .168 .045 .213

1989 . . . 5,439 .019 .045 .038 .046 .017 .007 .016 .027 .171 .043 .214

1990 . . . 5,744 .021 .046 .042 .049 .017 .007 .017 .027 .181 .044 .225

1991 . . . 5,917 .028 .053 .050 .056 .018 .008 .020 .028 .213 .047 .260

1992 . . . 6,244 .051 .062 .057 .061 .018 .008 .021 .027 .257 .048 .305

1993 . . . 6,558 .060 .068 .063 .064 .018 .008 .022 .027 .281 .049 .331

1994 . . . 6,947 .060 .065 .067 .065 .018 .008 .023 .026 .283 .049 .332

1995 . . . 7,270 .064 .066 .071 .067 .019 .008 .022 .026 .294 .048 .343

1996 . . . 7,662 .065 .065 .073 .069 .019 .008 .021 .026 .299 .047 .346

1997 . . . 8,111 .061 .062 .069 .067 .019 .008 .020 .025 .284 .045 .329

1998 . . . 8,509 .058 .061 .069 .068 .019 .007 .018 .025 .282 .043 .325

Estimated:

1999 . . . 8,845 .057 .059 .070 .070 .019 .007 .017 .025 .281 .042 .323

2000 . . . 9,194 .057 .056 .069 .070 .019 .007 .016 .025 .278 .040 .319

2001 . . . 9,591 .057 .055 .069 .070 .019 .007 .015 .024 .276 .039 .315

2002 . . . 10,020 .058 .053 .067 .071 .019 .007 .014 .024 .275 .038 .313

2003 . . . 10,488 .058 .052 .066 .071 .019 .007 .013 .024 .273 .037 .310

2004 . . . 11,001 .058 .051 .064 .072 .019 .007 .012 .023 .271 .035 .306

2005 . . . 11,560 .058 .050 .062 .073 .019 .007 .012 .023 .269 .034 .303

2006 . . . 12,154 .058 .049 .060 .073 .019 .007 .011 .022 .267 .034 .300

2007 . . . 12,784 .058 .049 .058 .074 .019 .007 .011 .022 .264 .033 .297

2008 . . . 13,446 .058 .048 .056 .074 .019 .007 .010 .021 .262 .032 .294

2009 . . . 14,134 .058 .048 .054 .075 .019 .007 .010 .021 .260 .031 .291

2010 . . . 14,850 .058 .048 .052 .075 .019 .007 .010 .020 .258 .030 .288

2011 . . . 15,597 .058 .048 .050 .075 .019 .007 .010 .019 .256 .030 .286

2012 . . . 16,370 .057 .047 .049 .075 .019 .007 .010 .019 .254 .029 .283

2013 . . . 17,170 .057 .047 .047 .075 .020 .007 .011 .018 .252 .029 .281

2014 . . . 18,000 .056 .047 .046 .074 .020 .007 .011 .018 .250 .029 .279

2015 . . . 18,863 .056 .047 .045 .074 .020 .007 .011 .018 .249 .029 .278

2016 . . . 19,758 .055 .047 .044 .073 .020 .007 .011 .017 .247 .029 .276

2017 . . . 20,692 .055 .047 .044 .072 .021 .007 .012 .017 .245 .029 .274

2018 . . . 21,663 .055 .047 .043 .071 .021 .007 .012 .017 .244 .029 .272

2019 . . . 22,673 .054 .047 .042 .070 .021 .007 .012 .017 .242 .029 .271

2020 . . . 23,723 .054 .046 .042 .069 .022 .007 .012 .016 .240 .029 .269

2021 . . . 24,808 .054 .046 .042 .068 .022 .007 .013 .016 .238 .029 .267

2022 . . . 25,956 .053 .046 .041 .067 .022 .007 .013 .017 .236 .029 .266

2023 . . . 27,138 .053 .046 .041 .065 .022 .007 .013 .017 .234 .030 .264
45

1999 SSI Annual Report

E. THE SSI PROGRAM’S SHARE OF SSA’S ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS 

AND BENEFICIARY SERVICES COSTS

The SSI program is administered by the Social Security Administration. Section 201(g)(1) of the

Social Security Act provides that administrative expenses for the SSI program, including Federal

administration of State supplementation payments, may be financed from the OASDI Trust Funds.

The trust funds are reimbursed from the General Fund of the Treasury for any such SSI administrative expenditures. These reimbursements include adjustments for any interest losses the trust funds

may have incurred as a result of such expenditures. The legislative history of the 1972 amendments

(which established this funding mechanism) indicates a desire to obtain economy of administration

by giving SSA the responsibility for the SSI program because of its existing field office network and

its administrative and automated data processing facilities. Because of the integration of the administration of the SSI and OASDI programs, it was desirable to fund them from a single source, with

reimbursement to the trust funds based on a General Accounting Office-approved method of cost

analysis of the respective expenses of the SSI and OASDI programs, and a final settlement by the

end of the subsequent fiscal year required by law. Table IV.E1 provides historical data on selected

administrative costs of the SSI program.

Table IV.E1.—Selected SSI Administrative Costs, Fiscal Years 1978-99

[Outlays in millions] 

Fiscal year

Payments to the

trust funds 1

 1 This activity funds the reimbursement to the OASI and DI Trust Funds from the General Fund of the

Treasury for the SSI program’s share of SSA’s administrative expenses.

Beneficiary

services 2

 2 Includes payments to State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies for VR services and payments for

referral and monitoring services for Drug Addicts and Alcoholics, which terminated effective

January, 1997.

1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $539 $31.6

1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611 57.0

1980 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668 33.1

1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717 37.3

1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780 12.0

1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 846 8.0

1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864 3 84.0

 3 Reflects a one-time payment to State VR agencies for prior year expenses.

1985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 956 3.0

1986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,023 7.2

1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977 9.5

1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 976 12.9

1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,052 20.0

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,075 28.3

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,230 33.1

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,426 36.0

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,468 32.3

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,780 33.8

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,978 48.2

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,953 71.8

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,055 77.3

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,304 46.0

1999 (estimated). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,429 61.0
1999 SSI Annual Report

46

V. APPENDICES

A. HISTORY OF PROVISIONS

Act 1. Basic Eligibility Requirements

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

An individual may qualify for payments on the basis of age, blindness, or disability.

Aged: Any person aged 65 or older.

Blind: Any person with 20/200 or less vision in the better eye with the use of correcting

lenses, or with tunnel vision of 20 degrees or less. An individual transferred from a State

Aid to the Blind (AB) program is eligible if he/she received such State aid in

December 1973 and continues to meet the October 1972 State definition of blindness.

Disabled: Any person unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of

any medically determinable physical or mental impairment expected to result in death or

that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months.

For a child under age 18, eligibility is based on disability of severity comparable with that

of an adult. An individual transferred from a State Aid to the Permanently and Totally

Disabled (APTD) program to SSI is also eligible if he/she received such State aid in

December 1973 and continues to meet the October 1972 State definition of disability.

1973 (Public Law 93-233, enacted December 31.)

Only persons who had received APTD before July 1973 and were on the rolls in

December 1973 may receive SSI on the basis of the State definition of disability; those

who became eligible for State aid from July to December 1973 must meet the Federal definition of disability.

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

A disabled recipient who loses Federal SSI eligibility because of earnings at the substantial gainful activity level may continue to receive a special benefit under section 1619 and

retain eligibility for Medicaid under title XIX of the Social Security Act. This special benefit status may continue as long as the recipient has the disabling impairment and meets

all nondisability SSI eligibility criteria. States have the option of supplementing this special benefit.

This provision of the law was in effect from January 1, 1981, through December 31, 1983.

Beginning in January 1984, under a 1-year demonstration project, this provision was continued for persons already eligible for either regular SSI payments or special monthly

benefits.

1984 (Public Law 98-460, enacted October 9.)

The special benefit and Medicaid provisions of the 1980 legislation were extended

through June 30, 1987 (retroactive to January 1, 1984).

1986 (Public Law 99-643, enacted November 10.)

The special benefit and Medicaid provisions of the 1980 amendments were made permanent. The provisions were amended effective July 1, 1987, with significant modifications

to simplify administration and to allow free movement between regular SSI disability

benefits and either the special cash benefit or Medicaid eligibility under section 1619.
47

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

For individuals under age 18, the “comparable severity” standard was eliminated and

replaced with a requirement that a child would be considered disabled if he/she had a

medically determinable impairment that resulted in “marked and severe functional limitations,” and met the existing statutory duration requirement. The law also eliminated

references to “maladaptive behaviors” in the Listing of Impairments for children, and discontinued the use of individualized functional assessments for children.

SSI eligibility is prohibited for an individual in any month during which such an individual is a fugitive felon, fleeing prosecution, or violating State or Federal conditions of probation or parole. In addition, SSI eligibility is prohibited for 10 years for those convicted

of fraudulently claiming residence to obtain benefits simultaneously in two or more

States.

2. Other Eligibility Provisions

a. Citizenship and Residence

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

The individual must reside within one of the 50 States or the District of Columbia and be

a citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence or permanently residing

in the United States under color of law. Persons living outside the United States for an

entire calendar month lose their eligibility for such a month.

1976 (Public Law 94-241, enacted March 24.)

Eligibility for SSI was extended to residents of the Northern Mariana Islands, effective

January 9, 1978.

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

The income and resources of the immigration sponsors of aliens applying for SSI are considered in determining eligibility for and the amount of payment. After allowances for the

needs of the sponsor and his/her family, the remainder is deemed available for the support of the alien applicant for a 3-year period after admission to the United States for permanent residence. This provision does not apply to those who become blind or disabled

after admission, to refugees, or to persons granted political asylum.

1989 (Public Law 101-239, enacted December 19.)

SSI eligibility is continued for a disabled or blind child who was receiving SSI benefits

while living in the United States and is now living with a parent who is a member of the

U.S. Armed Forces assigned to permanent duty ashore outside the United States, but not

where the parent was stationed in Puerto Rico or the territories and possessions of the

United States.

1993 (Public Law 103-66, enacted August 10.)

Above provision made applicable where the parent is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces

and stationed in Puerto Rico or the territories and possessions of the United States.
1999 SSI Annual Report

48

Act

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Prohibits SSI eligibility for anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or national unless they are in

a “qualified alien” category and meet one of certain exceptions such as lawful permanent

residents who earn or can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of earnings, certain refugee type categories eligible for up to 5 years of time limited eligibility, or active duty

U.S. military or veterans and their spouses and children. Extends eligibility for aliens

receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996 (the enactment date of the law) for 1 year after the

enactment date for those aliens found ineligible under the new standards.

(Public Law 104-208, enacted September 30.)

Amends Public Law 104-193 to add to the list of “qualified aliens” certain noncitizens

(and their children) who have been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by a spouse

or parent or a member of the spouse’s or parent’s family living in the same household.

1997 (Public Law 105-18, enacted June 12.)

Extends eligibility for aliens receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996, until

September 30, 1997, for those found ineligible under the new alien standards of

Public Law 104-193.

(Public Law 105-33, enacted August 5.)

Further amended Public Law 104-193 to add Cuban and Haitian entrants, and the child

of a parent who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty, to the list of qualified

aliens. Provided that Cuban and Haitian entrants and Amerasian immigrants qualify for

time limited eligibility, and increased the time limit from 5 to 7 years for all categories.

Additional exceptions were added for qualified aliens: (1) lawfully residing in the United

States and receiving SSI benefits on August 22, 1996; and (2) lawfully residing in the

United States on August 22, 1996 and meeting the definition of blind or disabled in the

Social Security Act.

Certain noncitizen American Indians were excepted from the alien nonpayment provisions of Public Law 104-193.

Extends eligibility for “nonqualified aliens” receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996, until

September 30, 1998.

1998 (Public Law 105-306, enacted October 28.)

Permanently extends eligibility of all remaining “nonqualified aliens” who were receiving

SSI benefits when Public Law 104-193 was enacted in August 1996.

b. Other Benefits

1980 (Public Law 96-272, enacted June 17.)

SSI applicants and recipients are not required as a condition of eligibility to elect to

receive Veterans Administration pensions under the Veterans and Survivors’ Pension

Improvement Act of 1978 if the State of residence lacks a medically-needy program under

title XIX.
49

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act c. Drug Addiction and Alcoholism (DA&A)

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Any disabled individual who has been medically determined to be an alcoholic or drug

addict must accept appropriate treatment, if available, in an approved facility and demonstrate compliance with conditions and requirements for treatment.

SSI payments are required to be made through a representative payee—another person

or public or private agency designated by SSA to manage the recipient’s benefit on his/her

behalf.

1994 (Public Law 103-296, enacted August 15.)

Any individual who is receiving SSI based on a disability where drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to the finding of disability must comply with the

DA&A treatment requirements. The individual must accept appropriate treatment when

it is available and comply with the conditions and terms of treatment. Instances of noncompliance with the requirements result in progressively longer benefit suspensions.

Before benefits can resume, the individual must demonstrate compliance for specific periods; 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively, for the first, second, third and subsequent instances of noncompliance. An individual who is not in compliance with the

DA&A treatment requirements for 12 consecutive months shall not be eligible for benefits; however, this does not prevent such individuals from reapplying and again becoming

eligible for benefits.

SSI disability benefits based on DA&A are also limited to a total of 36 benefit months

(beginning March 1995) regardless of whether appropriate treatment is available.

Months for which benefits are not due and received do not count towards the 36-month

limit.

Preference is required to be given to community based nonprofit social service agencies

and Federal, State, or local government agencies in representative payee selection. These

agencies when serving as payees may retain the lesser of 10 percent of the monthly benefit or $51 (indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)) as compensation for their services.

Establishment of one or more referral and monitoring agencies for each State required.

1996 (Public Law 104-121, enacted March 29.)

An individual is not considered disabled if drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing

factor material to a finding of disability.

Applies drug addiction and alcoholism representative payee requirements enacted under

Public Law 103-296 to disabled SSI recipients who have a drug addiction or alcoholism

condition and are incapable of managing their benefits. In addition, these recipients shall

be referred to the appropriate State agency administering the State plan for substance

abuse treatment.

d. Institutionalization

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

An individual who is an inmate of a public institution is ineligible for SSI payments

unless the institution is a facility approved for Medicaid payments and is receiving such

payments on behalf of the person. Under regulations, the Medicaid payment must represent more than 50 percent of the cost of services provided by the facility to the individual.
1999 SSI Annual Report

50

Act

1976 (Public Law 94-566, enacted October 20.)

An inmate of a publicly operated community residence serving no more than 16 persons

may, if otherwise eligible, receive SSI.

1983 (Public Law 98-21, enacted April 20.)

Payments may be made to persons who are residents of public emergency shelters for the

homeless for a period of up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

1986 (Public Law 99-643, enacted November 10.)

Effective July 1, 1987, up to 2 full months of full-rate benefits can be made to recipients of

special SSI payments under section 1619 if they reside in certain public medical, psychiatric, or Medicaid facilities, or in private Medicaid facilities.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Effective January 1, 1988, payments may be made to persons who are residents of public

emergency shelters for the homeless, for up to 6 months in a 9-month period.

Effective July 1, 1988, continued payment of SSI benefits for up to 3 months is permitted,

at the rate that was applicable in the month prior to the first full month of institutionalization, for individuals whose expected institutional stay on admission is not likely to

exceed 3 months, as certified by a physician, and for whom the receipt of benefits is necessary to maintain living arrangements to which they may return.

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Effective December 1996, institutionalized children under age 18 whose private health

insurance is making payments to the institution may receive no more than $30 per month

in Federal SSI.

e. Vocational Rehabilitation and Treatment

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Blind or disabled individuals receiving Federal SSI benefits who are under age 65, must

be referred to the State agency providing services under the Vocational Rehabilitation Act

and must accept the services offered. States are reimbursed for the cost of services.

1976 (Public Law 94-566, enacted October 20.)

Blind or disabled children under age 16 must be referred to the State agency administering crippled children’s services or to another agency designated by the State. States are

reimbursed for the cost of services.

Of funds provided for these services, at least 90 percent must be used for children under

age 6 or for those who have never attended public schools.

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

Disabled SSI recipients who medically recover while enrolled in approved vocational

rehabilitation programs of State VR agencies, may continue to receive benefits during

their participation in such programs if the Commissioner of Social Security determines

that continuation in the program will increase the probability that they leave the rolls

permanently.
51

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1981 (Public Law 97-35, enacted August 13.)

Funding no longer provided under title XVI for medical, social, developmental and rehabilitative services to disabled or blind children.

Reimbursement for the cost of rehabilitation services will be made if the services result in

the recipient’s return to work.

1984 (Public Law 98-460, enacted October 9.)

Authorizes the reimbursement of States for the cost of VR services provided to individuals who (1) continue to receive benefits after medical recovery because they are participating in a State VR program or (2) refuse, without good cause, to continue in or cooperate

with the VR program in which they had been participating.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Provision for continuation of payments to SSI recipients who have medically recovered

while enrolled in an approved vocational rehabilitation program extended to blind SSI

recipients.

1990 (Public Law 101-508, enacted November 5.)

Reimbursement authorized for the cost of vocational rehabilitation services provided in

months in which the individual was not receiving Federal SSI payments, if:

 • SSI recipient status for Medicaid eligibility purposes was retained under work incentive provisions, or 

 • Benefits were in suspense 1 status (for a reason other than cessation of disability or

blindness), or

 • Federally-administered State supplementation was received.

Extends the provision providing for benefit continuation to SSI recipients who medically

recover while participating in a State VR program to include SSI recipients participating

in a non-State VR program.

f. Continuing Disability Reviews and Eligibility Redeterminations

1994 (Public Law 103-296, enacted August 15.)

During each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, and 1998, required SSA to conduct continuing disability reviews (CDRs) on a minimum of 100,000 SSI recipients. In addition, during the

same period, required SSA to redetermine the SSI eligibility of at least one-third of all

childhood SSI recipients who reach age 18 after April 1995 during the 1-year period following attainment of age 18. Redeterminations for persons turning age 18 could count

toward the 100,000 CDR requirement.

 1 Recipients who have lost eligibility for SSI benefits for fewer than 13 consecutive months are in suspended payment status.
1999 SSI Annual Report

52

Act

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Repealed the requirement that SSA redetermine the eligibility of at least one-third of all

childhood SSI recipients who reach age 18 after April 1995 during the 1-year period following attainment of age 18.

Requires a CDR:

 • At least once every 3 years for SSI recipients under age 18 who are eligible by reason

of an impairment which is likely to improve, and

 • Not later than 12 months after birth for recipients whose low birth weight is a contributing factor material to the determination of their disability.

Requires eligibility redetermination for all childhood SSI recipients eligible for the month

before the month in which they attain age 18.

Requires redetermination of eligibility for children considered disabled based on an individual functional assessment and/or consideration of maladaptive behavior.

Requires the representative payee of a childhood disability recipient whose continuing eligibility is being reviewed to present evidence that the recipient is receiving treatment

which is considered medically necessary and available for the condition which was the

basis for providing SSI benefits.

1997 (Public Law 105-33, enacted August 5.)

Modifies provision of Public Law 104-193 to extend from 12 to 18 months the period for

redetermining the disability of children under age 18 under the new childhood disability

standard.

Modifies provision of Public Law 104-193 to permit SSA to schedule a CDR for a disabled

child for whom low birth weight is a contributing factor material to the determination of

disability, at a date after the child’s first birthday if the Commissioner determines the

impairment is not expected to improve within 12 months of the child’s birth.

Modifies provision of Public Law 104-193 to provide SSA the authority to make redeterminations of disabled childhood recipients who attain age 18, more than 1 year after the

date such recipient attains age 18.

g. Deeming of Income and Resources

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Deeming occurs when the income and resources of certain family members living in the

same household with the SSI recipient are considered in determining the amount of the

SSI payment. These family members are the ineligible spouse of an adult recipient and

the ineligible parents of a child recipient under age 21.

After deduction of personal allocations for the spouse (or parents) and for ineligible children in the home, and after application of income exclusions, any remaining income of the

spouse (or parents) is added to the income of the eligible person.

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

Children aged 18 or older are not subject to parental deeming.

Sponsor’s income deemed to an alien for 3 years.
53

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1989 (Public Law 101-239, enacted December 19.)

Disabled children receiving home care services under State Medicaid programs, who are

ineligible for SSI because of deeming of parental income, and who received SSI benefits

limited to $30 while in a medical treatment facility may receive the $30 monthly allowance that would be payable if the recipient were institutionalized.

1993 (Public Law 103-152, enacted November 24.)

Sponsor-to-alien deeming period extended from 3 years to 5 years, effective

January 1, 1994, through September 30, 1996.

Considers an ineligible spouse or parent who is absent from the household due to active

military service as a member of the household for deeming purposes.

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Deeming of income and resources from an immigration sponsor to a noncitizen continues

until citizenship, with exceptions for those who earn, or can be credited with, 40 qualifying quarters of earnings. Effective for those whose sponsor signs a new legally enforceable

affidavit of support.

(Public Law 104-208, enacted September 30.)

Amends Public Law 104-193 to add two exceptions to the sponsor-to-alien deeming:

 • Provides that if the noncitizen is indigent and would be unable to obtain food and

shelter without SSI benefits even after receiving support from the sponsor, then only

the amount of income and resources actually provided by the sponsor will be counted

for a 12-month period after a determination of indigence; and

 • Provides that in certain cases, deeming would not apply for a 12-month period (with

some options for extension) if the noncitizens (or their children) have been battered,

or subjected to extreme cruelty by family members.

1997 (Public Law 105-33, enacted August 5.)

Amends Public Law 104-208 to add an additional exception to sponsor-to-alien deeming

when the parent of a noncitizen has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by family members.

3. Federal Benefit Payments

a. Windfall Offset

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

Offset (by reduction of retroactive Social Security benefits) to prevent persons whose initial OASDI payment is retroactive from receiving more in total benefits for the same

period than if they were paid the benefits when regularly due.

1984 (Public Law 98-617, enacted November 8.)

Offset provision expanded to allow for reduction of retroactive SSI benefits and to apply

in cases of OASDI benefit reinstatement.
1999 SSI Annual Report

54

Act b. Proration of Benefit

1982 (Public Law 97-248, enacted September 3.)

Benefit for first month of eligibility to be prorated by the number of days in the month for

which an application has been filed and there is eligibility.

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Changes the effective date of an SSI application to the first day of the month following

the date on which the application was filed or on which the individual first becomes eligible, whichever is later. This, in effect, eliminates prorated payments in initial claims.

c. Retrospective Monthly Accounting

1981 (Public Law 97-35, enacted August 13.)

Changes the method of computing the SSI benefit to one under which the benefit amount

is computed on a monthly basis and is based on income and other characteristics in the

previous (or second previous) month.

1984 (Public Law 98-369, enacted July 18.)

Changes the method of computing the SSI benefit to persons receiving title II payments.

The effect of the increased title II income at the time of the cost-of-living increase is not

delayed as it otherwise would be.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Provides an exception to retrospective monthly accounting so that amounts received

under Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC), foster care, refugee cash assistance, Cuban-Haitian entrant assistance, or general and child welfare assistance provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs are counted only in the month received.

1993 (Public Law 103-66, enacted August 10.)

Changes the method of computing the SSI benefit to persons receiving the value of the

one-third reduction. The effect of the increased value at the time of the cost-of-living

increase is not delayed as it otherwise would be. Effective January 1995.

d. Uncashed Checks

1981 (Public Law 97-35, enacted August 13.)

States that have Federally-administered supplements to be credited their share of SSI

checks that remain unnegotiated for 180 days.

1987 (Public Law 100-86, enacted August 10.)

SSI checks now unnegotiable after 1 year. States are credited their share of SSI checks

after 1 year rather than 180 days.

e. Rounding of Payment Amounts

1982 (Public Law 97-248, enacted September 3.)

Cost-of-living adjustments in the Federal SSI benefit and income eligibility levels are to

be rounded to the next lower whole dollar, after the adjustment is calculated. Subsequent

cost-of-living adjustments will be calculated on the previous year’s benefit standard

before rounding.
55

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act 4. Federal Benefit Rates

Basic benefit standards are used in computing the amount of Federal SSI payments. Benefit levels differ for individuals and couples living in households and for persons in Medicaid institutions. Individuals or couples living in their own households receive the full

Federal benefit. If an individual or couple is living in another person’s household and

receiving support and maintenance there, the Federal benefit is reduced by one-third.

The Federal benefit rates for persons in households are increased annually to reflect

increases in the cost of living. Legislation affecting the level of Federal benefit rates since

the inception of the SSI program are summarized in table V.A1.

Table V.A1.—Federal Benefit Rates Set by Legislation

Act Living arrangements 1 

 1 For those in another person’s household receiving support and maintenance there, the Federal benefit rate is reduced by one-third.

Amount 2 

 2 For those without countable income. These payments are reduced by the amount of countable income of the individual or couple.

Individual Couple Conditions

1972 3 . . . .

 3 Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30, 1972.

Own household 4 

 4 Includes persons in private institutions whose care in not provided by Medicaid.

$130.00 $195.00 Was to be effective January 1, 1974; superseded by Public Law 

93-233.

1973 5 . . . .

 5 Public Law 93-66, enacted July 9, 1973.

— 140.00 210.00 Was to be effective January 1, 1974; superseded by Public Law 

93-233.

1973 6 . . . .

 6 Public Law 93-233, enacted December 31, 1973.

— 140.00 210.00 Effective January 1, 1974.

1973 6 . . . . . — 146.00 219.00 Effective July 1, 1974.

1974 7 . . . .

 7 Public Law 93-368, enacted August 7, 1974.

— — — Mechanism established for providing cost-of-living adjustments 

coordinated with earlier legislation applying to OASDI cash benefits. SSI payments to be increased by the same percentage as 

OASDI benefits and at the same time.

— 8 157.70

 8 Subject to automatic provisions, see table IV.A2

8 236.60 Effective July 1, 1975.

1983 9 . . . .

 9 Public Law 98-21, enacted April 20, 1983.

— 304.30 456.40 Effective July 1, 1983 (general benefit increase).

— 8 314.00 8 472.00 Effective January 1, 1984.

1973 5 . . . . . Increment for 

“essential person” 

in household

65.00 — Was to be effective January 1, 1974. For persons transferred from 

OAA, AB, or APTD programs who were receiving payments in 

December 1973 under a State plan that took account of “essential persons” in the household.

— 70.00 — Was to be effective July 1, 1974.

1973 6 . . . . . — 70.00 — Effective January 1, 1974.

— 73.00 — Effective July 1, 1974.

1974 7 . . . . . — — — Mechanism established for providing cost-of-living adjustments.

— 8 78.90 — Effective July 1, 1975.

1983 9 . . . . . — 152.50 — Effective July 1, 1983 (general benefit increase).

— 8 157.00 — Effective January 1, 1984.

1972 3 . . . . . Receiving institutional 

care covered by 

Medicaid

25.00 50.00 Effective January 1, 1974. Must be receiving more than 50 percent 

of the cost of the care from Medicaid (title XIX of the Social 

Security Act).

1987 10 . . . .

 10 Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22, 1987.

— 30.00 60.00 Effective July 1, 1988. Must be receiving more than 50 percent of 

the cost of the care from Medicaid (title XIX of the Social Security Act).
1999 SSI Annual Report

56

Act 5. Exclusions from Income

a. General Exclusions

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

The first $60 of earned or unearned income per calendar quarter for an individual or couple; the next $195 and one-half the remainder of quarterly earned income. Unearned

income includes Social Security benefits, other government or private pensions, veterans’

benefits, and workers’ compensation.

1981 (Public Law 97-35, enacted August 13.)

The first $20 of earned or unearned income per month for an individual or couple; the

next $65 and one-half the remainder of monthly earned income. Unearned income

includes Social Security benefits, other government or private pensions, veterans’ benefits, and workers’ compensation.

b. Special Exclusions

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Any amount of tax rebate issued to an individual by any public agency that is based on

either real property or food purchase taxes.

Grants, scholarships, and fellowships used to pay tuition and fees at an educational institution.

Income required for achieving an approved self-support plan for blind or disabled persons.

Work expenses of blind persons.

For blind persons transferred from State programs to SSI, income exclusions equal to the

maximum amount permitted as of October 1972 under the State programs.

Irregularly or infrequently received income totaling $60 or less of unearned income and

$30 of earned income in a calendar quarter.

Payment for foster care of ineligible child residing in recipient’s home through placement

by a public or private nonprofit child care agency.

One-third of any payment received from an absent parent for the support of a child eligible for SSI.

Certain earnings of a blind or disabled child under age 22 regularly attending an educational institution.

State or local government cash payments based on need and designed to supplement SSI

payments.

1976 (Public Law 94-331, enacted June 30.)

Disaster assistance from income for 9 months and application of one-third reduction for

6 months for certain victims of disasters.

(Public Law 94-566, enacted October 20.)

Any assistance based on need (including vendor payments) made to or on behalf of SSI

recipients, which is paid and wholly funded by State or local governments.

The value of assistance provided under certain Federal housing programs.
57

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1977 (Public Law 95-113, enacted September 29.)

Food stamps, Federally donated food, and the value of free or reduced price food for

women and children under the Child Nutrition Act and National School Lunch Act.

(Public Law 95-171, enacted November 12.)

Provisions for exclusions for support and maintenance under the Disaster Relief and

Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 extended on a permanent basis. Effective

January 1, 1978.

1980 (Public Law 96-222, enacted April 1.)

Earned income tax credit treated as earned income (temporarily excluded from 1975

through 1980).

(Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

Remunerations received in sheltered workshops and work activity centers are considered

earned income and qualify for earned income disregards.

Impairment-related work expenses paid by the individual (including cost for attendant

care, medical equipment, drugs, and services necessary to control an impairment) are

deducted from earnings when determining if an individual is engaging in substantial

gainful activity. Impairment-related work expenses are excluded in calculating income for

benefit purposes if initial eligibility for benefits exists on the basis of countable income

without applying this exclusion.

1981 (Public Law 97-35, enacted August 13.)

Modifies provision under which irregularly or infrequently received income is excluded to

conform to change from quarterly to monthly accounting; amounts excludable: $20 or less

of unearned income and $10 of earned income in a month.

1982 (Public Law 97-377, enacted December 21.)

From December 18, 1982, to September 30, 1983, certain home energy assistance payments are excluded if a State agency certified that they are based on need.

1983 (Public Law 97-424, enacted January 6.)

Support or maintenance assistance (including home energy assistance) provided in kind

by a nonprofit organization or in cash or in kind by certain providers of home energy is

disregarded if the State determines that the assistance is based on need. Provision is

applicable through September 1984.

Certain home energy assistance payments are excluded if a State agency certified that

the assistance is based on need. Provision is applicable through June 1985.

1984 (Public Law 98-369, enacted July 18.)

The 1983 provisions for support and maintenance and home energy assistance continue

to October 1, 1987.

1986 (Public Law 99-498, enacted October 17.)

Educational assistance used for educational expenses under the Higher Education Act of

1965 as amended.
1999 SSI Annual Report

58

Act

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

The 1983 provisions for support and maintenance and home energy assistance made permanent.

Death payments (for example, proceeds from life insurance) from SSI income determinations to the extent they were spent on last illness and burial.

Modifies the 1982 resource exclusion for burial funds to extend the exclusion to any burial

fund of $1,500 or less maintained separately from all other assets, thereby allowing the

interest on the funds to be excluded from income if retained in the fund.

1988 (Public Law 100-383, enacted August 10.)

Restitution payments made to Japanese internees and relocated Aleutians.

1989 (Public Law 101-239, enacted December 19.)

Interest on agreements representing the purchase of an excluded burial space.

Payments from the Agent Orange Settlement.

Value of a ticket for domestic travel received as a gift and not cashed.

1990 (Public Law 101-508, enacted November 5.)

Earned income tax credit (including the child health insurance portion).

Payments received from a State-administered fund established to aid victims of crime.

Impairment-related work expenses excluded from income in determining initial eligibility

for benefits.

Payments received as State or local government relocation assistance.

Payments received under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

Redefined as earned income, royalties earned in connection with any publication of the

individual’s work, and honoraria received for services rendered (previously defined as

unearned income).

1993 (Public Law 103-66, enacted August 10.)

Hostile fire pay to members of the uniformed services.

Payments received as State or local government relocation assistance made permanent.

1994 (Public Law 103-286, enacted August 1.)

Payments to victims of Nazi persecution.

1998 (Public Law 105-285, enacted October 27.)

Funds made available to an SSI recipient by a State or local government or a nonprofit

organization as part of the Individual Development Account demonstration project.

(Public Law 105-306, enacted October 28.)

In-kind gifts by tax-exempt organizations not converted to cash;

The first $2,000 annually of cash gifts by tax-exempt organizations to, or for the benefit

of, individuals under age 18 with life-threatening conditions.

(Public Law 105-369, enacted November 12.)

Payments made under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998.
59

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act 6. Limits and Exclusions from Resources

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Countable resources limited to $1,500 or less for an individual and to $2,250 or less for a

couple.

1984 (Public Law 98-369, enacted July 18.)

Limit on countable resources raised by $100 a year for individuals and $150 a year for

couples, beginning in calendar year 1985 through 1989. The respective limits would

become $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple in 1989 and thereafter.

a. General Exclusions

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

A home of reasonable value—established by regulation as not exceeding a fair-market

value of $25,000 ($35,000 in Alaska and Hawaii).

Personal effects and household goods of reasonable value established by regulation as not

exceeding a total market value of $1,500.

An automobile of reasonable value—established by regulation as not exceeding a market

value of $1,200.

An automobile may be excluded, regardless of value, if the individual’s household uses it

for employment or medical treatment, or if it is modified to be operated by or for transportation of a handicapped person.

Life insurance with face value of $1,500 or less.

1976 (Public Law 94-569, enacted October 20.)

The recipient’s home, regardless of value, is excluded from consideration in determining

resources.

1977 (Public Law 95-171, enacted November 12.)

Assistance received under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 for

9 months following receipt.

1979 Reasonable value for an automobile increased by regulation to $4,500 of current-market

value; personal goods and household effects increased to $2,000 of equity value.

1980 (Public Law 96-611, enacted December 28.)

Assets transferred for less than fair-market value for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits under the Social Security Act are counted as resources for 24 months after

transfer.

1982 (Public Law 97-248, enacted September 3.)

The value, within prescribed limits, of a burial space for the recipient, spouse, and immediate family is excluded. In addition, $1,500 each (less the value of already excluded life

insurance and any amount in an irrevocable burial arrangement) may be set aside for the

burial of the recipient and spouse, if held in separately identifiable burial funds and if

inclusion of any of the burial funds in countable resources would cause the resource limit

to be exceeded.
1999 SSI Annual Report

60

Act

1984 (Public Law 98-369, enacted July 18.)

The unspent portion of any retroactive title II or title XVI payment is excluded for

6 months following its receipt, and the individual must be given written notice of the time

limit on the exclusion.

1985 Regulations permitted exclusion, regardless of value, of an automobile needed for essential transportation or modified for a handicapped person. The $4,500 current-market

value limit applies only if no automobile could be excluded based on the nature of its use.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Provides for suspension of the 1980 transfer of assets provision, in any month that it is

determined that undue hardship would result.

Real property that cannot be sold because it is jointly owned; its sale would cause the

other owner(s) undue hardship due to loss of housing; its sale is barred by a legal impediment; or, the owner’s reasonable efforts to sell have been unsuccessful.

Temporarily extends the 1984 exclusion of retroactive title II and title XVI benefits from

6 months to 9 months (the longer exclusion applies to benefits paid in fiscal years 1988

and 1989).

Allows the exclusion of burial funds, as described above, regardless of whether or not

counting any portion of those funds would result in excess resources.

1988 (Public Law 100-360, enacted July 1.)

Removes the transfer-of-assets penalty for transfers made July 1, 1988, or later.

(Public Law 100-707, enacted November 23.)

Removes the time limit for exclusion of disaster assistance.

b. Special Exclusions

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Assets of a blind or disabled individual that are necessary to an approved plan of self-support.

Tools and other property essential to self-support (PESS), within reasonable limits.

Shares of nonnegotiable stock in regional or village corporations held by natives of

Alaska.

For persons transferred from State programs to SSI, resource exclusions equal to the

maximum amount permitted as of October 1972 under the State program.

1988 (Public Law 100-383, enacted August 10.)

Restitution payments made to Japanese internees and relocated Aleutians.

1989 (Public Law 101-239, enacted December 19.)

Specifies that no limitation can be placed on property essential to self-support used in a

trade or business, or by an individual as an employee (including the tools of a tradesperson and the machinery and livestock of a farmer).

Payments from the Agent Orange Settlement.
61

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1990 (Public Law 101-508, enacted November 5.)

Earned income tax credit excluded for the month following the month the credit is

received.

Payments received from a State-administered fund established to aid victims of crime

excluded for a 9-month period. Individual not required to file for such benefits.

Payments received as State or local government relocation assistance excluded for a

9-month period. (The provision expired 3 years after its effective date.)

Payments received under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

1993 (Public Law 103-66, enacted August 10.)

Made permanent the 9-month exclusion of payments received as State or local government relocation assistance.

1994 (Public Law 103-286, enacted August 1.)

Payments to victims of Nazi persecution.

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

Dedicated financial institution accounts required to be established for large past-due benefits for disabled individuals under age 18 with a representative payee.

1998 (Public Law 105-285, enacted October 27.)

Funds made available to an SSI recipient by a State or local government or a nonprofit

organization as part of the Individual Development Account demonstration project.

(Public Law 105-306, enacted October 28.)

In-kind gifts by tax-exempt organizations not converted to cash;

The first $2,000 annually of cash gifts by tax-exempt organizations to, or for the benefit

of, individuals under age 18 with life-threatening conditions.

(Public Law 105-369, enacted November 12.)

Payments made under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998.

7. Presumptive and Emergency Payments and Interim Assistance 

Reimbursement

a. Presumptive Payments

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

A person applying on the basis of disability who meets all other criteria of eligibility, and

is likely to be disabled, may receive payments for 3 months pending the disability determination.

1976 (Public Law 94-569, enacted October 20.)

Presumptive payment provision was extended to persons applying on the basis of blindness.
1999 SSI Annual Report

62

Act

1990 (Public Law 101-508, enacted November 5.)

Extends the period for receipt of payments to 6 months.

b. Emergency Advance Payments

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

Any applicant who can be presumed to meet the criteria of eligibility, but has not yet been

determined eligible, and who is faced with a financial emergency may receive an immediate cash advance of up to $100.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Increases the maximum emergency advance payment amount to the maximum amount of

the regular Federal SSI monthly benefit rate, plus, if any, the Federally-administered

State supplementary payment.

1996 (Public Law 104-193, enacted August 22.)

May be made if applicants have a financial emergency in the month of application before

the month that all eligibility requirements are met. These advance payments must be

repaid within 6 months.

c. Interim Assistance Reimbursement

1974 (Public Law 93-368, enacted August 7.)

SSA may enter into agreements with the States to repay them directly for assistance payments made to an SSI applicant while his/her claim is being adjudicated. The repayment

is made from the first check due to the individual. This legislation expires June 30, 1976.

1976 (Public Law 94-365, enacted July 14.)

The authority to repay the State for interim assistance was made permanent.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Extends interim assistance reimbursement to situations in which payments are made by

States or political subdivisions to persons whose SSI payments were suspended or terminated and who subsequently are found to be eligible for such benefits. Also clarifies that

the payment from which the interim assistance reimbursement is paid must be the first

payment of benefits relating to the interim period.

8. Medicaid Eligibility

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

States can provide Medicaid coverage to all recipients of SSI payments. Alternatively,

they could limit coverage by applying more restrictive criteria from the State Medicaid

plan in effect on January 1, 1972.

States can accept SSA determination of eligibility, or make their own determination.

1976 (Public Law 94-566, enacted October 20.)

Preserves the Medicaid eligibility of recipients who become ineligible for cash SSI payments due to the cost-of-living increases in Social Security benefits.
63

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1980 (Public Law 96-265, enacted June 9.)

Blind or disabled recipients under age 65 no longer eligible for either regular or special

SSI payments because of their earnings may retain SSI recipient status for Medicaid eligibility purposes under the following conditions: (1) they continue to have the disabling

impairment, (2) they meet all nondisability eligibility criteria except for earned income,

(3) they would be seriously inhibited from continuing employment without Medicaid services, and (4) their earnings are insufficient to provide a reasonable equivalent of SSI

payments and Medicaid.

In States that do not provide Medicaid coverage categorically to all SSI recipients, qualification for Medicaid benefits depends on the State’s specific eligibility and program

requirements.

The Medicaid provision of the 1980 legislation was in effect from January 1, 1981,

through December 31, 1983. Under a 1-year demonstration project, beginning

January 1, 1984, this provision was continued for persons already eligible for regular or

special SSI payments or for retention of Medicaid eligibility.

1984 (Public Law 98-460, enacted October 9.)

Medicaid provision of 1980 legislation extended through June 30, 1987 (retroactive to

January 1, 1984).

1986 (Public Law 99-272, enacted April 7.)

Restored Medicaid eligibility for some disabled widow(er)s who became ineligible for SSI

due to a change in the Social Security disabled widow(er)s benefits reduction factor.

Medicaid protection for disabled widow(er)s whose title II benefits increased in 1984

because of a change in the actuarial reduction formula.

(Public Law 99-643, enacted November 10.)

The SSI recipient status for Medicaid eligibility provision of the 1980 amendments was

made permanent.

Effective July 1, 1987, certain expenses that would be lost if SSI eligibility was discontinued may be excluded from earnings when determining sufficiency of earnings to establish

SSI recipient status eligibility for Medicaid purposes:

 • Impairment-related work expenses of disabled persons,

 • Work expenses of blind persons,

 • Income required for achieving an approved self-support plan, and

 • The value of publicly funded attendant care services.

Effective July 1, 1987, preserves the Medicaid eligibility of recipients who become ineligible for SSI payments because of entitlement to, or an increase in, Social Security disabled

adult child benefits on or after the effective date.

Effective July 1, 1987, requires all States to provide Medicaid coverage for recipients in

special SSI status (either receiving special SSI payments or in the special recipient status

described for 1980) if they received Medicaid coverage the month before special SSI status.
1999 SSI Annual Report

64

Act

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Effective July 1, 1988, restores or preserves the Medicaid eligibility of persons aged 60 or

older who are eligible for Social Security benefits as widows or widowers (but not eligible

for Medicare) and who become ineligible for SSI payments or State supplementation

because of the receipt of old-age or survivors insurance benefits under Social Security.

1990 (Public Law 101-508, enacted November 5.)

Age limit for retention of SSI recipient status for Medicaid eligibility purposes (1980 and

subsequent work incentive provisions, above) eliminated.

Preserves the Medicaid eligibility of SSI recipients who become ineligible for payments

when they become entitled to Social Security disabled widow(er)s benefits following the

revised definition used for their disability.

9. State Supplementation

1972 (Public Law 92-603, enacted October 30.)

States were given the option of providing supplementary payments both to recipients

transferred from the State program and to those newly eligible for SSI.

States may either administer the payments themselves or have the Social Security

Administration make payments on their behalf. When State supplementary payments

are Federally-administered, the Social Security Administration makes eligibility and payment determinations for the State and assumes administrative costs.

“Hold harmless” protection, which limits a State’s fiscal liability to its share of OAA, AB,

and APTD expenditures for calendar year 1972, was provided to States electing Federal

administration of their supplementary plans. This provision applies only to supplementary payments that do not, on the average, exceed a State’s “adjusted payment level.”

(The adjusted payment level is the average of the payments that individuals with no

other income received in January 1972; it may include the bonus value of food stamps.

Adjustments are provided for payments that had been below State standards.)

1973 (Public Law 93-66, enacted July 9.)

Provision was made for mandatory State supplementation as assurance against reduction

of income for persons who received State assistance in December 1973 and were transferred to SSI. These supplementary payments must equal the difference between (1) the

amount of the State assistance payment that the individual received in December 1973

plus other income and (2) his/her Federal SSI payment plus other income.

1976 (Public Law 94-585, enacted October 21.)

After June 30, 1977, when the Federal SSI payment level is increased by a cost-of-living

increase, such an increase will be disregarded in calculating the “hold harmless” amount.

Requires States to maintain State supplementation payments at the level of

December 1976 (“maintenance of payments”) or to continue to pay in supplements the

same total annual amounts (“maintenance of expenditures”) when the Federal SSI payment level is increased and thereby pass through any increases in Federal benefits without reducing State supplements.
65

1999 SSI Annual Report

Act

1982 (Public Law 97-248, enacted September 3.)

Began a 3-year phase out of “hold harmless” protection. Effective with fiscal year 1985,

Wisconsin and Hawaii (the only remaining “hold harmless” States) assumed the full cost

of their supplementary payments.

1983 (Public Law 98-21, enacted April 20.)

Federal pass-through law is adjusted (1) by substituting the State supplementary payment levels in effect in March 1983 for those in effect in December 1976 as the levels that

States must maintain in complying with the pass-through requirements, and (2) with

regard to the $20 (individual) and $30 (couple) increase in the Federal SSI standard in

July 1983, by requiring States to pass through only as much as would have been required

if the SSI cost-of-living adjustment had been made in July 1983.

1987 (Public Law 100-203, enacted December 22.)

Provided for Federal administration of State supplements to residents of medical institutions.

Provided for required pass through of $5 increase in Federal rate for persons whose care

in institutions is paid in substantial part by Medicaid.

1993 (Public Law 103-66, enacted August 10.)

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1993 requires States to pay fees for

Federal administration of their State supplementation payments. The fees are $1.67 for

each monthly supplementary payment in fiscal year 1994, $3.33 in fiscal year 1995, and

$5.00 in fiscal year 1996. Fees for subsequent fiscal years will be $5.00 or another amount

determined by the Commissioner to be appropriate. The Commissioner may charge the

States additional fees for services they request that are beyond the level customarily provided in administering State supplementary payments.

1997 (Public Law 105-33, enacted August 5.)

Revised the schedule of per-check fees for Federal administration of State supplementation for fiscal years 1998 ($6.20) through 2002 ($8.50) and provided a formula for determining the fee beyond fiscal year 2002.
1999 SSI Annual Report

66

B. INCOME AND RESOURCE EXCLUSIONS

1. Earned Income Exclusions

 • Any refund of Federal income taxes received under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code

(relating to earned income tax credit) and any payment received under section 3507 of the Internal Revenue Code (relating to advance payment of earned income tax credit); 

 • Up to $10 of earned income in a month if it is infrequent or irregular, that is, if it is received only

once in a calendar quarter from a single source or if its receipt cannot reasonably be expected. (If

the total amount of the infrequent or irregular income exceeds $10, this exclusion cannot be

used.); 

 • Up to $400 per month but not more than $1,620 in a calendar year received by a blind or disabled

child who is a student regularly attending school; 

 • Any portion of the monthly $20 exclusion for unearned income that has not been used; 

 • $65 of earned income in a month; 

 • Amounts used to pay impairment-related work expenses if the recipient is disabled (but not

blind) and under age 65 or is disabled (but not blind) and receiving SSI (or disability payments

under a former State plan) before age 65; 

 • One-half of remaining earned income in a month; 

 • Earned income used to meet any expenses reasonably attributable to the earning of the income if

the recipient is blind and under age 65 or if he/she received SSI as a blind person prior to age 65; 

 • Any earned income received and used to fulfill an approved plan to achieve self-support if the

recipient is blind or disabled and under age 65 or is blind or disabled and received SSI as a blind

or disabled individual in the month before he/she attained age 65; and 

 • Some Federal laws other than the Social Security Act provide for the exclusion of earned income

for SSI purposes. For the most part, the income received under these laws relates to assistance

received in the form of food, housing and utilities, educational and employment benefits or benefits derived from being a member of a Native American tribe. A complete list of laws which

exclude earned income under SSI can be found in the Federal Regulations Appendix to

Subpart K 20 CFR 416. 

2. Unearned Income Exclusions 

 • Any public agency’s refund of taxes on real property or food; 

 • Assistance based on need which is wholly funded by a State or one of its political subdivisions.

This includes State supplementation of Federal SSI benefits but does not include payments

under a Federal/State grant program such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; 

 • Any portion of a grant, scholarship or fellowship used for paying tuition, fees or other necessary

educational expenses. Portions set aside for food, clothing or shelter are counted; 

 • Food raised by a household if it is consumed by that household; 
67

1999 SSI Annual Report

 • Assistance received under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and assistance provided under any Federal statute because of a catastrophe which the President of the United

States declares to be a major disaster; 

 • Up to $20 of unearned income in a month if it is infrequent or irregular; that is, if a type of

unearned income is received only once during a calendar quarter from a single source or if it cannot reasonably be expected; 

 • Any unearned income received and used to fulfill an approved plan to achieve self-support if the

recipient is blind or disabled and under age 65 or is blind or disabled and received SSI as a blind

or disabled individual in the month before he/she attained age 65; 

 • Periodic payments made by a State under a program established before July 1, 1973, and based

solely on the recipient’s length of residence and attainment of age 65; 

 • Payments for providing foster care to an ineligible child who was placed in the recipient’s home

by a public or private nonprofit child placement or child care agency; 

 • Any interest earned on excluded burial funds and any appreciation in the value of an excluded

burial arrangement which are left to accumulate and become part of the separately identifiable

burial fund; 

 • Certain support and maintenance assistance provided in the form of home energy assistance; 

 • One-third of support payments made by an absent parent if the recipient is a child; 

 • The first $20 of unearned income in a month other than income in the form of in-kind support

and maintenance received in the household of another and income based on need; 

 • The value of any assistance paid with respect to a dwelling unit under the United States Housing

Act of 1937, the National Housing Act, section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act

of 1965, title V of the Housing Act of 1949, or section 202(h) of the Housing Act of 1959; 

 • Any interest accrued on and left to accumulate as part of the value of an excluded burial space

purchase agreement (after April 1, 1990); 

 • The value of any commercial transportation ticket, for travel by the recipient or his/her spouse

among the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American

Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, which is received as a gift and is not converted to

cash;

 • Payments received from a fund established by a State to aid victims of crime;

 • Relocation assistance provided by a State or local government that is comparable to assistance

provided under title II of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;

 • Hostile fire pay received from one of the uniformed services pursuant to 37 U.S.C. 310;

 • Interest or other earnings on a dedicated account excluded from resources;

 • In-kind gifts not converted to cash and the first $2,000 annually of cash gifts made by tax-exempt

organizations, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to, or for the benefit of, individuals under

age 18 with life-threatening conditions;

 • Payments made under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998;
1999 SSI Annual Report

68

 • Deposits made by sponsoring nonprofit organization or State or local government into an Individual Development Account (IDA) under the “Assets for Independence Act” IDA demonstration

project; and

 • Unearned income excluded by other Federal laws. See Federal Regulations Appendix to

Subpart K 20 CFR 416.

3. Resource Exclusions

 • The home (including the land appertaining thereto); 

 • Household goods and personal effects to the extent that their total value does not exceed $2,000; 

 • An automobile may be totally excluded if: (1) it is necessary for employment; (2) it is necessary

for the medical treatment of a specific or regular medical problem; (3) it is modified for the operation by or transportation of, a handicapped individual; or (4) it is necessary to perform essential

daily activities. If the automobile does not meet any of the above requirements, it may be

excluded to the extent that its current-market value does not exceed $4,500; 

 • Property of a trade or business which is essential to the means of self-support; 

 • Nonbusiness property which is essential to the means of self-support; 

 • Resources of a blind or disabled individual which are necessary to fulfill an approved plan for

achieving self-support; 

 • Stock in regional or village corporations held by natives of Alaska during the 20-year period in

which the stock is inalienable pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; 

 • Life insurance owned by an individual (and spouse, if any) provided that all life insurance on any

person does not exceed a face value of $1,500; 

 • Restricted allotted Indian lands; 

 • Disaster relief assistance; 

 • Burial spaces and certain funds up to $1,500 for burial expenses; 

 • Title XVI or title II retroactive payments (for 6 months following receipt); 

 • Housing assistance; 

 • Refunds of Federal income taxes and advances made by an employer relating to an earned

income tax credit, (for the month following receipt);

 • Payments received as compensation for expenses incurred or losses suffered as a result of a

crime (for 9 months);

 • Relocation assistance from a State or local government (for 9 months);

 • Dedicated financial institution accounts for disabled children;

 • In-kind gifts not converted to cash and the first $2,000 annually of cash gifts made by tax-exempt

organizations, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to, or for the benefit of, individuals

under 18 with life-threatening conditions;
69

1999 SSI Annual Report

 • Payments made under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998;

 • Amounts placed in an Individual Development Account (IDA) by a sponsoring nonprofit organization or State or local government under the “Assets for Independence” IDA demonstration

project (Deposits made by the individual owning the account are not excluded.); and

 • Payments or benefits provided under a Federal statute other than title XVI of the Social Security

Act where exclusion is provided by such statute.
1999 SSI Annual Report

70

C. HISTORICAL ALLOWANCE DATA

At the end of 1998, 80 percent of SSI recipients were receiving benefits based on a determination of

disability. Claims are filed at a local Social Security office and claims requiring an evaluation of disability are sent to the State Disability Determination Service (DDS) for a decision. Initial DDS decisions that are unfavorable to the applicant may be appealed to the DDS for a reconsideration of that

initial denial. Persons denied at the reconsideration level may apply to the Office of Hearings and

Appeals (OHA) for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and if dissatisfied with the

hearing decision may request a review by the Appeals Council. Those dissatisfied with the Appeals

Council’s action may seek further relief via the Federal court system.

Such a process of application and appeal can, in some cases, span several years. However, before

1993, the only data available on the disability determination process resided in files compiled at each

separate stage of the determination process and only captured various point-in-time snapshots of this

process. A complete picture of the disability determination process can be fully understood only by

compiling a longitudinal database from administrative records at all levels of appeal. Beginning in

1993, such a longitudinal database (the “Disability Research File”) was constructed by the Division of

Disability Program Information and Studies within SSA’s Office of Disability to assist the agency in

understanding and managing this process. In the process of constructing this database, some problems were encountered due to inconsistencies in the data collected from all the respective levels of

appeal. The following sections present some additional details and qualifications essential to a complete understanding of the resulting data. Following these technical notes is a table based on the Disability Research File showing the latest available summary of results on disability determinations

under title XVI.

1. Technical Notes on the Disability Research File

Methods used to build the title XVI Disability Research File—The “base” file for the title XVI research

file is the Supplemental Security Record (SSR). This “base” file is matched against records from various other administrative sources, including transactions from the disability determination (SSA-831)

files, Social Security number identification records and earnings data, and OHA case control data. 

The process used to build this research file is cumbersome, involving more than 150 steps, and generally requiring about 4 months to complete. Much of this complexity flows from the fact that the file is

assembled based on filing date cohorts, even though many of the source files do not contain a filing

date. The three most recent calendar year cohorts are completely reassembled from the basic data

sources. Older calendar year cohorts are updated to reflect activity since the last time the file was

built. Since the process is so time consuming, the research file is updated only annually (usually

beginning in July). Therefore, research file data are not yet available for claims filed in 1998.

Methods used for estimating results (through February 1999) for claims filed in 1998—Although decision counts are available for 1998 filers (from many of the “source” files), those counts do not translate directly into the claims/appeals counts included in the following table, due to the consolidation of

multiple transactions (and application of claims-based tolerance rules) which occurs when the

research file is built.

To prepare preliminary estimates of results (through February 1999) for 1998 filers, we started from

the latest available transaction data, such as the SSA-831 data, and took into account recent years’

experience of the relationship between corresponding earlier transaction data and the resulting

claims/appeals data in completed research files. We also considered claims counts from an extract file

from the SSR. While we believe that the methods used are reasonable, it must be emphasized that

the resulting estimates may prove to be of limited reliability, especially in light of the fact that the

estimates give results only through February 1999, whereas the final research files will reflect information through June 1999. Actual data for 1998 will be available to replace these estimates in the

2000 Annual Report.
71

1999 SSI Annual Report

2. General Considerations

Some general points that apply to tables V.C1 and V.C2 are as follows:

 • Data for 1988-97 filers are as of June 1998. Results for those years’ filers have been updated to

include OHA results through October 1998. 

 • Data for 1998 filers are preliminary estimates as of February 1999, and reflect larger numbers of

claims still pending. February 1999 data on number of claims appealed may be too low because

larger numbers of claimants are still within the period allowed for filing an appeal (i.e., larger

numbers of recently denied claimants who have not yet filed an appeal may appeal before the

time limit runs out). 

 • Remaining appeals will affect the results. Experience shows that there is a lower allowance rate

on claims that have been pending in OHA a year or more, than on previously decided appeals. 

 • Computations of overall allowance rates exclude cases which have been appealed and for which a

decision is pending.
1999 SSI Annual Report

72

1 Data for claims filed in 1988-97 reflect results as of June 1998. The numbers of total claims filed for 1996 and 1997 are subject to change. Data for

claims filed in 1998 are preliminary estimates as of February 1999. The ultimate number of allowances and denials are subject to change until all initial

decisions have been completed and all appeals are final.

2 Percentage of decisions at this level.

3 Percentage of denials at this level appealed to next level.

4 Includes cases appealed to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, as well as beyond OHA to the Federal courts.

5 Number of persons appealing beyond the reconsideration level.

6 Includes cases remanded to OHA from the Federal courts.

7 Percentage of decisions at this level. For years where decisions are still pending, the preliminary percentage shown will ultimately be lower as all

cases are processed. This is true since allowances are generally processed more quickly than denials.

8 Includes denied claims where the final administrative action was a dismissal of an appeal request (e.g., the appeal was not filed timely or the applicant

failed to appear at the scheduled hearing).

9 Percentage of initial decisions excluding appealed cases pending decisions.

10 Percentage of initial denials.

Table V.C1.—Disabled Adult Claims: Disposition of Applications for SSI Disability Benefits by 

Year of Filing 1 and Level of Decision 

Calendar year 

of filing 

Total claims

filed

Initial decisions

Pending

Allowances

Denials

Appeals to reconsideration

Number Percent 2 Number Percent 3

1988 946,603 — 272,204 28.8 674,399 265,151 39.3

1989 969,218 — 292,044 30.1 677,174 274,823 40.6

1990 1,099,805 — 347,823 31.6 751,982 320,207 42.6

1991 1,288,329 — 415,336 32.2 872,993 383,667 43.9

1992 1,415,624 — 436,888 30.9 978,736 433,244 44.3

1993 1,503,276 — 416,300 27.7 1,086,976 485,164 44.6

1994 1,436,958 — 353,995 24.6 1,082,963 482,533 44.6

1995 1,318,416 — 323,084 24.5 995,332 439,166 44.1

1996 1,244,478 — 304,996 24.5 939,482 400,823 42.7

1997 1,102,995 11,094 288,350 26.4 803,551 334,842 41.7

1998 1,085,000 178,100 287,300 31.7 619,600 225,500 36.4

Calendar year 

of filing 

Reconsiderations Appeals beyond reconsideration 4

Pending

Allowances

Denials

Appeals to beyond

reconsideration Allowances

Number Percent 2 Number 5 Percent 3 Pending 6 Number Percent 7 Denials 8

1988 — 38,385 14.5 226,766 140,663 62.0 — 82,414 58.6 58,249

1989 — 43,505 15.8 231,318 146,079 63.2 — 90,167 61.7 55,912

1990 — 52,055 16.3 268,152 175,501 65.4 — 109,088 62.2 66,413

1991 — 59,158 15.4 324,509 221,642 68.3 — 139,625 63.0 82,017

1992 — 58,819 13.6 374,425 261,846 69.9 2,166 158,732 61.1 100,948

1993 — 57,939 11.9 427,225 297,059 69.5 6,060 168,886 58.0 122,113

1994 — 55,830 11.6 426,703 295,692 69.3 12,880 160,719 56.8 122,093

1995 — 51,703 11.8 387,463 266,214 68.7 27,838 135,336 56.8 103,040

1996 — 48,254 12.0 352,569 239,313 67.9 52,652 112,455 60.2 74,206

1997 15,923 36,074 11.3 282,845 197,655 69.9 106,300 58,973 64.6 32,382

1998 53,600 24,200 14.1 147,700 64,410 43.6 55,070 6,760 72.4 2,580

Calendar year 

of filing 

Selected summary totals

Allowances at all levels Allowances at all appeal levels Denials after all appeals

Number Percent 9 Number Percent 10 Number Percent 10

1988 393,003 41.5 120,799 17.9 553,600 82.1

1989 425,716 43.9 133,672 19.7 543,502 80.3

1990 508,966 46.3 161,143 21.4 590,839 78.6

1991 614,119 47.7 198,783 22.8 674,210 77.2

1992 654,439 46.3 217,551 22.2 759,019 77.6

1993 643,125 43.0 226,825 20.9 854,091 78.6

1994 570,544 40.1 216,549 20.0 853,534 78.8

1995 510,123 39.5 187,039 18.8 780,455 78.4

1996 465,705 39.1 160,709 17.1 726,121 77.3

1997 383,397 39.5 95,047 11.8 586,281 73.0

1998 318,260 39.9 30,960 5.0 479,970 77.5
73

1999 SSI Annual Report

1 Data for claims filed in 1991-97 reflect results as of June 1998. The numbers of total claims filed for 1996 and 1997 are subject to change. Data for

claims filed in 1998 are preliminary estimates as of February 1999. The ultimate number of allowances and denials are subject to change until all initial

decisions have been completed and all appeals are final.

2 Percentage of decisions at this level.

3 Percentage of denials at this level appealed to next level.

4 Includes cases appealed to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, as well as beyond OHA to the Federal courts.

5 Number of persons appealing beyond the reconsideration level.

6 Includes cases remanded to OHA from the Federal courts.

7 Percentage of decisions at this level. For years where decisions are still pending, the preliminary percentage shown will ultimately be lower as all

cases are processed. This is true since allowances are generally processed more quickly than denials.

8 Includes denied claims where the final administrative action was a dismissal of an appeal request (e.g., the appeal was not filed timely or the applicant

failed to appear at the scheduled hearing).

9 Percentage of initial decisions excluding appealed cases pending decisions.

10 Percentage of initial denials.

Table V.C2.—Disabled Child Claims: Disposition of Applications for SSI Disability Benefits by 

Year of Filing 1 and Level of Decision 

Calendar year 

of filing 

Total claims

filed

Initial decisions

Pending

Allowances

Denials

Appeals to reconsideration

Number Percent 2 Number Percent 3

1991 250,962 — 148,220 59.1 102,742 24,702 24.0

1992 372,971 — 189,079 50.7 183,892 49,297 26.8

1993 496,131 — 212,268 42.8 283,863 75,967 26.8

1994 525,013 — 172,219 32.8 352,794 92,093 26.1

1995 487,730 — 144,231 29.6 343,499 86,841 25.3

1996 454,240 — 126,842 27.9 327,398 74,126 22.6

1997 331,935 5,287 104,882 32.1 221,766 47,599 21.5

1998 330,800 57,400 111,000 40.6 162,400 31,010 19.1

Calendar year 

of filing 

Reconsiderations Appeals beyond reconsideration 4

Pending

Allowances

Denials

Appeals to beyond

reconsideration Allowances

Number Percent 2 Number 5 Percent 3 Pending 6 Number Percent 7 Denials 8

1991 — 5,605 22.7 19,097 9,190 48.1 — 3,881 42.2 5,309

1992 — 9,463 19.2 39,834 19,889 49.9 201 7,508 38.1 12,180

1993 — 11,338 14.9 64,629 31,476 48.7 798 10,551 34.4 20,127

1994 — 11,332 12.3 80,761 38,678 47.9 2,455 12,627 34.9 23,596

1995 — 10,287 11.8 76,554 35,774 46.7 5,462 10,043 33.1 20,269

1996 — 9,007 12.2 65,119 27,475 42.2 8,169 6,762 35.0 12,544

1997 3,137 6,457 14.5 38,005 17,479 46.0 10,741 2,733 40.6 4,005

1998 7,300 3,240 13.7 20,470 5,500 26.9 4,913 211 35.9 376

Calendar year 

of filing 

Selected summary totals

Allowances at all levels Allowances at all appeal levels Denials after all appeals

Number Percent 9 Number Percent 10 Number Percent 10

1991 157,706 62.8 9,486 9.2 93,256 90.8

1992 206,050 55.3 16,971 9.2 166,720 90.7

1993 234,157 47.3 21,889 7.7 261,176 92.0

1994 196,178 37.5 23,959 6.8 326,380 92.5

1995 164,561 34.1 20,330 5.9 317,707 92.5

1996 142,611 32.0 15,769 4.8 303,460 92.7

1997 114,072 36.5 9,190 4.1 198,698 89.6

1998 114,451 43.8 3,451 2.1 146,736 90.4
1999 SSI Annual Report

74

D. HISTORICAL REDETERMINATION AND CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW DATA

1. Redeterminations

Redeterminations are reviews of all of the nonmedical factors of eligibility to determine whether a

recipient is still eligible for SSI and still receiving the correct payment amount. There are two types

of redeterminations: scheduled and unscheduled. Scheduled redeterminations are selected annually

or once every 6 years depending on the likelihood of payment error in the case. Except for certain

institutionalized individuals, all recipients are periodically scheduled for a redetermination.

Unscheduled redeterminations are completed on an as needed basis when recipients report, or we

discover, certain changes in circumstances that could affect the continuing SSI payment amount. The

numbers of redeterminations completed are subject to some year-to-year fluctuation because of variation in the numbers of unscheduled redeterminations completed and in the numbers of scheduled

redeterminations that were selected but not completed during the fiscal year due to the impact of

other workload requirements on the field offices. When redeterminations cannot be completed in the

fiscal year scheduled, they are carried over into the next fiscal year. Table V.D1 provides historical

data on numbers of redeterminations completed by fiscal year. 

1 Decrease in number of redeterminations completed in fiscal

year 1994 due to low-error profile redeterminations not being

completed from January through September 1994.

2 Effective fiscal year 1995, approximately 200,000 fewer redeterminations were selected annually due to a change from a

3-year to a 6-year redetermination cycle for low-error profile

cases.

During periods between scheduled redeterminations, SSA uses the limited issue process to detect situations that have the potential to affect the continuing eligibility of SSI recipients and SSI payment

amounts. SSA conducts periodic computer matches between its own systems and the systems of other

Federal and State agencies to determine if the income and resources information on SSI recipients’

records is in conflict with data obtained from the other systems. Matches detecting conflicting information usually result in the posting of an identifier to the Supplemental Security Record of the SSI

recipient. The case is then selected and scheduled for a field office review of the issue for which the

indicator was posted. SSA develops over 600,000 limited issues annually.

2. Continuing Disability Reviews

Following enactment of the Social Security Disability Amendments of 1980, section 221(i) of the

Social Security Act generally requires SSA to review the continuing eligibility of title II disabled beneficiaries at least every 3 years. A similar requirement was not put in place at that time for disabled

Table V.D1.—SSI Redeterminations Completed, Fiscal Years 1986-98

[In thousands] 

Fiscal year

Number of

redeterminations

1986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,278

1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,244

1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,997

1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,226

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,103

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,138

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,321

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,223

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1,900

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1,597

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,763

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,773

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,853
75

1999 SSI Annual Report

title XVI recipients. Although the Committee on Finance of the Senate stated in its report on this legislation that the same continuing disability reviews (CDR) procedures should be applied with respect

to both the title II and title XVI programs, title XVI was not amended to accomplish this. In 1994 and

again in 1996 legislation was enacted adding some mandates for the performance of CDRs under the

SSI program.

Public Law 103-296 specified that during each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, and 1998, SSA was required

to conduct CDRs on a minimum of 100,000 SSI recipients. In addition, during the same period, SSA

was required to redetermine the SSI eligibility of at least one-third of all SSI child recipients who

reach age 18 after April 1995 during the 1-year period following attainment of age 18. Such redeterminations for persons turning age 18 could count toward the 100,000 CDR requirement.

Public Law 104-193 extended the requirement of redetermination of SSI eligibility to all SSI child

recipients who reach age 18, with such redetermination being based on an adult eligibility criteria.

This law also added the requirement that a CDR be performed:

 • At least once every 3 years for SSI recipients under age 18 who are eligible by reason of an

impairment which is likely to improve, and

 • Not later than 12 months after birth for recipients whose low birth weight is a contributing factor material to the determination of their disability.

Public Law 105-33 gave SSA some additional flexibility in the scheduling of these categories of CDRs.

In order to handle the large CDR workload mandated under these various provisions, SSA developed,

beginning in 1993, a process by which certain title II cases scheduled for a CDR would be screened

using the results of a profiling process which included a mailer interview for some cases. In 1996 the

profiling process was extended to title XVI adults who were scheduled for a CDR. The screening process resulted in the deferral of full medical reviews for 164,116 cases for which a scheduled title XVI

CDR was processed in 1998.

For cases involving individuals who receive both title II and title XVI benefits, CDRs are typically initiated as title II CDRs with the results of the review affecting eligibility for benefits under both programs. Tables V.D2 and V.D3 present the latest available summary of results on CDRs of title XVI

recipients performed under titles II and XVI since 1993. These tables include only cases for which a

full medical review was conducted. In particular they do not include:

 • Cases for which a mailer was completed, but for which a full medical review was deferred;

 • CDRs initiated as the result of work activity on the part of the beneficiary/recipient; and

 • Miscellaneous other CDRs processed by the State Disability Determination Services but not as

part of the normal CDR scheduling process (such as voluntary and third party reports of medical

improvement, post-transplant end-stage renal disease cases, and vocational rehabilitation

reports).

In contrast with the allowance data presented in section V.C, the CDR data is tabulated on a cohort

basis by the date of initial decision.
1999 SSI Annual Report

76

Table V.D2.—SSI Disabled Adult Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of 

Initial Decision 1and Level of Decision 

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Initial decisions

Total initial 

DDS decisions

Continuations

Cessations

Appeals to reconsideration

Number Percent 2 Number Percent 3

Reviews of concurrent title II/XVI cases initiated under title II

1993 1,143 1,083 94.8 60 52 86.7

1994 10,945 9,127 83.4 1,818 1,253 68.9

1995 16,736 12,484 74.6 4,252 2,905 68.3

1996 26,884 20,636 76.8 6,248 4,119 65.9

1997 51,466 40,741 79.2 10,725 7,257 67.7

1998 81,185 68,533 84.4 12,652 8,293 65.5

Title XVI initiated reviews

1993 ——————

1994 ——————

1995 4,287 3,277 76.4 1,010 665 65.8

1996 55,025 46,273 84.1 8,752 6,146 70.2

1997 69,557 57,662 82.9 11,895 8,748 73.5

1998 75,071 64,829 86.4 10,242 7,154 69.8

Total reviews, SSI disabled adults

1993 1,143 1,083 94.8 60 52 86.7

1994 10,945 9,127 83.4 1,818 1,253 68.9

1995 21,023 15,761 75.0 5,262 3,570 67.8

1996 81,909 66,909 81.7 15,000 10,265 68.4

1997 121,023 98,403 81.3 22,620 16,005 70.8

1998 156,256 133,362 85.3 22,894 15,447 67.5

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Reconsiderations Appeals beyond reconsideration 4

Pending

Continuations

Cessations

Appeals to beyond

reconsideration

Pending 6

Continuations

Number Percent Cessations 2 Number 5 Percent 3 Number Percent

Reviews of concurrent title II/XVI cases initiated under title II

1993 — 22 42.3 30 14 46.7 — 9 64.3 5

1994 — 541 43.2 712 399 56.0 — 177 44.4 222

1995 — 1,245 42.9 1,660 1,007 60.7 81 370 40.0 556

1996 — 1,875 45.5 2,244 1,313 58.5 197 374 33.5 742

1997 174 4,146 58.5 2,937 2,028 69.1 519 561 37.2 948

1998 1,595 4,391 65.6 2,307 1,184 51.3 918 113 42.5 153

Title XVI initiated reviews

1993 — — — — — — — — — —

1994 — — — — — — — — — —

1995 — 241 36.2 424 267 63.0 21 80 32.5 166

1996 — 3,289 53.5 2,857 1,946 68.1 292 521 31.5 1,133

1997 241 5,154 60.6 3,353 2,485 74.1 707 604 34.0 1,174

1998 1,197 3,862 64.8 2,095 1,219 58.2 887 116 34.9 216

Total reviews, SSI disabled adults

1993 — 22 42.3 30 14 46.7 — 9 64.3 5

1994 — 541 43.2 712 399 56.0 — 177 44.4 222

1995 — 1,486 41.6 2,084 1,274 61.1 102 450 38.4 722

1996 — 5,164 50.3 5,101 3,259 63.9 489 895 32.3 1,875

1997 415 9,300 59.7 6,290 4,513 71.7 1,226 1,165 35.4 2,122

1998 2,792 8,253 65.2 4,402 2,403 54.6 1,805 229 38.3 369
77

1999 SSI Annual Report

Table V.D2.—SSI Disabled Adult Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of 

Initial Decision 1 and Level of Decision (Cont.)

1 Data reflects results as of March 1999. The ultimate number of continuations and cessations are subject to change until all appeals are final.

2 Percentage of decisions at this level.

3 Percentage of cessations at this level appealed to next level.

4 Includes cases appealed to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, but not cases appealed beyond OHA to the Federal courts. These excluded cases

have a minimal impact on the number of continuations.

5 Number of persons appealing beyond the reconsideration level.

6 Includes cases remanded to OHA from the Federal courts.

7 Percentage of initial decisions excluding appealed cases pending decisions.

8 Percentage of initial decisions.

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Selected summary totals

Continuations at all levels Cessations at initial level Cessations after all appeals

Number Percent 7 Number Percent 8 Number Percent 7

Reviews of concurrent title II/XVI cases initiated under title II

1993 1,114 97.5 60 5.2 29 2.5

1994 9,845 89.9 1,818 16.6 1,100 10.1

1995 14,099 84.7 4,252 25.4 2,556 15.3

1996 22,885 85.8 6,248 23.2 3,802 14.2

1997 45,448 89.5 10,725 20.8 5,325 10.5

1998 73,037 92.8 12,652 15.6 5,635 7.2

Title XVI initiated reviews

1993 —— —— ——

1994 — — — — — —

1995 3,598 84.3 1,010 23.6 668 15.7

1996 50,083 91.5 8,752 15.9 4,650 8.5

1997 63,420 92.4 11,895 17.1 5,189 7.6

1998 68,807 94.3 10,242 13.6 4,180 5.7

Total reviews, SSI disabled adults

1993 1,114 97.5 60 5.2 29 2.5

1994 9,845 89.9 1,818 16.6 1,100 10.1

1995 17,697 84.6 5,262 25.0 3,224 15.4

1996 72,968 89.6 15,000 18.3 8,452 10.4

1997 108,868 91.2 22,620 18.7 10,514 8.8

1998 141,844 93.5 22,894 14.7 9,815 6.5
1999 SSI Annual Report

78

Table V.D3.—SSI Disabled Child Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of 

Initial Decision 1and Level of Decision 

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Initial decisions

Total initial

DDS decisions

Continuations

Cessations

Appeals to reconsideration

Number Percent 2 Number Percent 3

Reviews of low-birth-weight children

1994 1,225 771 62.9 454 159 35.0

1995 4,231 2,083 49.2 2,148 665 31.0

1996 5,709 2,491 43.6 3,218 904 28.1

1997 7,091 4,482 63.2 2,609 832 31.9

1998 17,620 6,092 34.6 11,528 3,593 31.2

Redeterminations at age 18

1994 ——————

1995 71 64 90.1 7 5 71.4

1996 12,640 8,158 64.5 4,482 2,055 45.9

1997 48,834 22,431 45.9 26,403 16,848 63.8

1998 40,945 21,453 52.4 19,492 10,735 55.1

All other reviews of SSI disabled children

1994 ——————

1995 3,535 2,501 70.7 1,034 541 52.3

1996 789 399 50.6 390 210 53.8

1997 14 8 57.1 6 4 66.7

1998 91,157 67,203 73.7 23,954 12,958 54.1

Total reviews, SSI disabled children

1994 1,225 771 62.9 454 159 35.0

1995 7,837 4,648 59.3 3,189 1,211 38.0

1996 19,138 11,048 57.7 8,090 3,169 39.2

1997 55,939 26,921 48.1 29,018 17,684 60.9

1998 149,722 94,748 63.3 54,974 27,286 49.6

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Reconsiderations Appeals beyond reconsideration 4

Pending

Continuations

Cessations

Appeals to beyond

reconsideration

Pending 6

Continuations

Number Percent Cessations 2 Number 5 Percent 3 Number Percent

Reviews of low-birth-weight children

1994 — 44 27.7 115 51 44.3 — 15 29.4 36

1995 — 184 27.7 481 219 45.5 21 41 20.7 157

1996 — 329 36.4 575 232 40.3 38 39 20.1 155

1997 49 278 35.5 505 213 42.2 107 14 13.2 92

1998 705 1,010 35.0 1,878 708 37.7 545 31 19.0 132

Redeterminations at age 18

1994 — — — — — — — — — —

1995 — 2 40.0 3 2 66.7 — 1 50.0 1

1996 — 707 34.4 1,348 584 43.3 55 110 20.8 419

1997 948 4,434 27.9 11,466 5,670 49.5 2,428 673 20.8 2,569

1998 2,255 2,508 29.6 5,972 2,632 44.1 1,961 145 21.6 526

All other reviews of SSI disabled children

1994 — — — — — — — — — —

1995 — 177 32.7 364 202 55.5 18 50 27.2 134

1996 — 69 32.9 141 55 39.0 8 11 23.4 36

1997 1 1 33.3 2 1 50.0 1 — — —

1998 3,809 3,299 36.1 5,850 2,547 43.5 2,241 93 30.4 213

Total reviews, SSI disabled children

1994 — 44 27.7 115 51 44.3 — 15 29.4 36

1995 — 363 30.0 848 423 49.9 39 92 24.0 292

1996 — 1,105 34.9 2,064 871 42.2 101 160 20.8 610

1997 998 4,713 28.2 11,973 5,884 49.1 2,536 687 20.5 2,661

1998 6,769 6,817 33.2 13,700 5,887 43.0 4,747 269 23.6 871
79

1999 SSI Annual Report

Table V.D3.—SSI Disabled Child Reviews: Disposition of Continuing Disability Medical Reviews by Fiscal Year of 

Initial Decision 1 and Level of Decision (Cont.)

1 Data reflects results as of March 1999. The ultimate number of continuations and cessations are subject to change until all appeals are final.

2 Percentage of decisions at this level.

3 Percentage of cessations at this level appealed to next level.

4 Includes cases appealed to the Office of Hearings and Appeals, but not cases appealed beyond OHA to the Federal courts. These excluded cases

have a minimal impact on the number of continuations.

5 Number of persons appealing beyond the reconsideration level.

6 Includes cases remanded to OHA from the Federal courts.

7 Percentage of initial decisions excluding appealed cases pending decisions.

8 Percentage of initial decisions.

Fiscal year of 

initial DDS 

decision

Selected summary totals

Continuations at all levels Cessations at initial level Cessations after all appeals

Number Percent 7 Number Percent 8 Number Percent 7

Reviews of low-birth-weight children

1994 830 67.8 454 37.1 395 32.2

1995 2,308 54.8 2,148 50.8 1,902 45.2

1996 2,859 50.4 3,218 56.4 2,812 49.6

1997 4,774 68.8 2,609 36.8 2,161 31.2

1998 7,133 43.6 11,528 65.4 9,237 56.4

Redeterminations at age 18

1994 —— —— ——

1995 67 94.4 7 9.9 4 5.6

1996 8,975 71.3 4,482 35.5 3,610 28.7

1997 27,538 60.6 26,403 54.1 17,920 39.4

1998 24,106 65.6 19,492 47.6 12,623 34.4

All other reviews of SSI disabled children

1994 — — — — — —

1995 2,728 77.6 1,034 29.3 789 22.4

1996 479 61.3 390 49.4 302 38.7

1997 9 75.0 6 42.9 3 25.0

1998 70,595 82.9 23,954 26.3 14,512 17.1

Total reviews, SSI disabled children

1994 830 67.8 454 37.1 395 32.2

1995 5,103 65.4 3,189 40.7 2,695 34.6

1996 12,313 64.7 8,090 42.3 6,724 35.3

1997 32,321 61.7 29,018 51.9 20,084 38.3

1998 101,834 73.7 54,974 36.7 36,372 26.3
1999 SSI Annual Report

80

E. INCENTIVES FOR WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHABILITATION

1. Work Incentives

Since the beginning of the SSI program, a number of disabled recipients have worked and received

SSI payments. Initially, the program contained a basic earned income exclusion that recognized the

additional costs associated with employment. In addition, the law contained a number of special

income exclusions which were intended as work incentives. Among these provisions were the income

exclusion for blind work expenses (BWE), plans for achieving self-support (PASS), and student

earned income (SEI).

In the 1980 amendments to the Social Security Act, Congress provided additional incentives to help

SSI disabled recipients become self-supporting. These incentives included:

 • Providing for an earned income exclusion for impairment-related work expenses (IRWE);

 • Changing the treatment of sheltered workshop earnings from unearned income to earned

income, thereby qualifying sheltered workshop earnings for the earned income exclusion;

 • Providing for the continuation of SSI payments for certain disabled individuals enrolled in vocational rehabilitation programs whose disability ceased due to medical recovery (extended to SSI

blind recipients, effective April, 1988);

 • Establishing section 1619 which provided:

— In subsection 1619(a), special SSI cash benefits to disabled individuals who lose eligibility for

SSI payments because they have earnings exceeding the limit that is ordinarily considered to

represent substantial gainful activity (SGA), and

— In subsection 1619(b), special SSI recipient status for Medicaid purposes to working disabled

or blind individuals when their earnings make them ineligible for cash payments.

The incentives for work and opportunities for rehabilitation are discussed in more detail in

section III.E. In the tables that follow we provide historical information on participation by SSI recipients in work incentive programs. 1 

a. Numbers of Participants in Work Incentive Programs

In this section, we present historical data on participation by SSI recipients in work incentive programs. Table V.E1 presents historical numbers of SSI recipients categorized according to their

section 1619 status. Figure V.E1 presents the same information in graphical form.

 1 More detailed information on participation by SSI recipients in work incentive programs is provided in the Quarterly Report on SSI Disabled

Workers and Work Incentive Provisions prepared by the Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics, Social Security Administration.
81

1999 SSI Annual Report

Note: Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

Table V.E1.—SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Working Recipients as of December, 1987-98

Year

In current-payment status 1619(b) Total

1619(a) workers 1

 1 In January, 1990, the SGA limit was raised from $300 to $500 and section 1619(a) participants with earnings at or below $500

became eligible for regular SSI benefits rather than the special cash payments under section 1619(a).

Other workers 2

 2 Workers’ earnings are at or below the SGA limit.

workers 3

 3 1619(b) recipients are not in current-payment status but retain SSI recipient status for Medicaid purposes.

workers

1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,559 142,664 15,632 172,855

1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,920 153,599 15,625 189,144

1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,655 161,928 18,254 205,837

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,994 182,421 23,517 219,932

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,531 186,824 27,264 229,619

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,603 199,665 31,649 248,917

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,028 210,322 35,299 265,649

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,315 217,478 40,683 282,476

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,060 223,573 47,002 298,635

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,085 225,310 51,905 308,300

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,673 228,093 57,089 319,855

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,271 229,662 59,542 326,475

 Figure V.E1.—SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Working Recipients 

as of December, 1987-98

[In thousands]

0

50

100

150

200

250

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Calendar year

1619(a) workers

1619(b) workers

Other workers
1999 SSI Annual Report

82

Table V.E2 presents historical numbers of SSI recipients who benefit from other selected work incentive provisions: (1) plan for achieving self-support (PASS), (2) impairment-related work expense

exclusion (IRWE), and (3) blind work expense exclusion (BWE). These recipients may be benefiting

from more than one of these selected work incentive provisions. This data is available only for calendar years 1990 and later.

Note: Working recipients participating in these other work incentives may be 1619(a) recipients, 1619(b) recipients or working recipients whose earnings

are at or below the SGA limit.

b. Average Earnings of Participants in Work Incentive Programs

In this section, we present historical data on average earnings of SSI working recipients. Table V.E3

presents average earnings of SSI recipients categorized according to their section 1619 status.

2. Vocational Rehabilitation

SSA makes provision for blind or disabled individuals who are receiving SSI benefits to be referred to

the State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. Recipients who have been referred to VR agencies

and accepted as clients lose eligibility for SSI benefits if they refuse, without good cause, the services

offered. As indicated in the Work Incentives section above, the 1980 amendments provided for the

continuation of SSI payments for certain disabled individuals enrolled in VR programs whose disability ceased due to medical recovery. This provision was extended to SSI blind recipients effective

April, 1988. In 1994, regulations were amended to expand access to private and non-State public VR

providers when a State VR agency does not serve an SSI recipient whom SSA refers for services. 

Table V.E2.—SSI Federally-Administered Blind or Disabled Individuals with SSI Recipient Status Participating 

in Other Work Incentives as of December, 1990-98

Year

PASS 1 

 1 For years 1990 through 1996, data do not include PASS plans which exclude only resources. 

Non-workers Workers Total IRWE BWE

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,215 1,040 2,255 5,384 4,385

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,969 1,601 3,570 6,546 4,330

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,189 2,658 5,847 7,813 4,454

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,528 3,602 8,130 8,629 4,406

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,842 4,487 10,329 9,484 4,380

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,719 4,603 10,322 9,940 4,433

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,760 1,944 4,704 9,799 4,230

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,290 708 1,998 9,637 4,116

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712 362 1,074 9,301 3,802

Table V.E3.—Average Monthly Earnings of SSI Federally-Administered Blind or

Disabled Working Recipients, as of December, 1987-98 

Year

Blind or disabled workers with SSI recipient status

In current-payment status 1619(b) Total

1619(a) workers 1

 1 In January, 1990, the SGA limit was raised from $300 to $500 and section 1619(a) participants with earnings at or below $500

became eligible for regular SSI benefits rather than the special cash payments under section 1619(a).

Other workers 2

 2 Workers’ earnings are at or below the SGA limit.

 workers 3

 3 1619(b) recipients are not in current-payment status but retain SSI recipient status for Medicaid purposes.

workers

1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $494 4 $124

 4 Estimated.

$739 4$211

1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522 4 127 721 4 218

1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 4 131 712 4 231

1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712 145 746 245

1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724 148 780 262

1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726 150 781 271

1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 728 153 784 280

1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 746 157 803 301

1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754 160 834 322

1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764 162 881 344

1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772 164 932 367

1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772 182 954 390
83

1999 SSI Annual Report

From the beginning of the SSI program through 1981, VR agencies were reimbursed for the cost of

VR services regardless of outcome. The 1981 amendments changed the reimbursement provisions so

that VR agencies would be reimbursed for the cost of VR services furnished to blind or disabled SSI

recipients only if the services result in the recipient returning to work. 1 For reimbursement purposes, recipients are considered to have returned to work if they have had earnings exceeding the

SGA limit for 9 continuous months. Effective with the 1990 amendments, reimbursement for the cost

of VR services was authorized for services provided in months in which the individual was not receiving Federal SSI benefits if the individual:

 • Had special SSI recipient status for Medicaid purposes under subsection 1619(b) of the Social

Security Act,

 • Received a Federally-administered State supplementary payment, or

 • Had SSI benefits suspended for fewer than 13 consecutive months for a reason other than cessation of disability or blindness.

Table V.E4 provides historical data on the number of reimbursement claims allowed and the amount

of such awards for SSI recipients.

Note: Totals do not necessarily equal the sums of rounded components.

 1 Reimbursement may also be made in cases where the recipient, without good cause, refuses to continue to accept VR services or fails to cooperate in such a manner as to preclude successful rehabilitation. In such cases, the recipient would become ineligible for SSI benefits due to a failure

to accept the offered services. In addition, reimbursement may be made in cases where the recipient medically recovers while engaged in a program of rehabilitation services approved by SSA; and SSA determines that completion of such program increases the likelihood the individual

will be permanently removed from the rolls.

Table V.E4.—Vocational Rehabilitation Reimbursement Claims Allowed, Fiscal Years 1987-98

Fiscal year

Concurrent title II/XVI claims Title XVI only claims Total claims

Number

Amount 1

(in thousands)

 1 For concurrent title II/XVI claims, amounts shown represent title XVI portion of claim.

Number

Amount

(in thousands) Number

Amount 1

(in thousands)

1987 . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,493 $10,010 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1988 . . . ( 2 )

 2 For fiscal years 1987-89, data on title II reimbursement claims involving concurrent title XVI reimbursement claims are not available.

( 2 ) 1,720 14,831 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1989 . . . ( 2 ) ( 2 ) 1,871 18,366 ( 2 ) ( 2 )

1990 . . . 1,267 $3,290 2,819 22,832 4,086 $26,122

1991 . . . 1,445 4,325 2,171 20,615 3,616 24,940

1992 . . . 1,634 5,312 2,834 28,276 4,468 33,588

1993 . . . 1,928 6,670 2,158 22,264 4,086 28,934

1994 . . . 1,880 7,057 2,074 23,400 3,954 30,457

1995 . . . 2,140 7,761 2,229 26,402 4,369 34,162

1996 . . . 2,033 6,518 2,138 24,334 4,171 30,852

1997 . . . 2,735 8,541 2,914 31,532 5,649 40,073

1998 3,329 10,089 3,446 36,313 6,775 46,402
1999 SSI Annual Report

84

F. INVOLVEMENT OF SSI RECIPIENTS IN OTHER PROGRAMS

In this section we present data on prior enrollment by recipients, including State programs funded

under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act and State general assistance programs. These data

are based on information from the Supplemental Security Record, the main administrative file for

the SSI program.

SSA does not maintain complete information in its administrative files concerning the involvement of

SSI recipients in all other assistance programs. We do, however, have some indication with regard to

entitlement to benefits under two other programs—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

(which replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)) and Interim Assistance Reimbursement—at the point that a person applies for SSI benefits.

Of the 6.6 million people receiving SSI payments in December 1998, almost 1.5 million had at some

time received income from the TANF or AFDC programs. While many of those receiving TANF or

AFDC at the point of application were children (38 percent), the majority were disabled adults who

had received assistance benefits either as children or as caretaker relatives.

Interim assistance is assistance a State gives to SSI applicants in cash or vendor payments for meeting basic needs while they are awaiting the outcome of the SSI eligibility determination process. Of

the 6.6 million people receiving SSI payments in December 1998, about 7,900 had part of their initial

SSI check paid to their State as reimbursement for interim assistance.
85

1999 SSI Annual Report

G. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RESEARCH ON RELATED TOPICS

The legislative mandate for this report requires inclusion of summaries of “relevant research on the

SSI program by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and others.” Given the volume of research

that has been done since the inception of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, we concluded that we could most effectively optimize interested readers’ access to this information by developing a comprehensive bibliography, rather than by attempting to synopsize numerous, sometimes

lengthy and complex documents. In addition, in this and future reports, we expect to provide summary information on certain current research projects related to the SSI program. Section 1 below

presents information on five such projects commissioned by SSA. Future reports will provide the

results of these studies.

Section 2 presents a list of reference sources that include studies and reports regarding various

aspects of the SSI program prepared by, or under contract for, the Social Security Administration.

The list also includes information gleaned from the extensive holdings of the Library of Congress

regarding studies that have been conducted by public and private entities regarding SSI payment

levels, recipients, and reform proposals. It is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of relevant

studies.

1. Research Topics

a. Policy Evaluation of the Effects of the 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation on SSI Benefits

for Children with Disabilities

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 substantially tightened the childhood SSI eligibility criteria. This legislation also requires that all SSI children be redetermined based on the adult disability criteria after turning 18 years of age. SSA has awarded a

policy evaluation task order contract to the RAND Corporation to evaluate both the net effect of this

legislation on SSA’s caseloads and program costs and the impact of losing SSI benefits on the children

affected by the law. Through this contract, SSA will obtain answers to the following questions: 

 • What are the characteristics of the children who are affected by the legislation? 

 • What is the impact of the legislation on children with disabilities who were receiving SSI benefits prior to welfare reform? 

 • What happens to these children in terms of their family income, living arrangements, utilization

of medical services, and other relevant outcomes? 

 • What is the overall net impact of welfare reform on SSI caseloads and costs, taking into account

both terminations and new allowances? 

The study will provide descriptive and quantitative estimates of the effects of the legislation on the

children who were on the rolls prior to the enactment of the legislation through analyses of SSA

administrative data and currently available survey data. In addition, the study will provide estimates of the net effect of the legislation on the number of children on the SSI rolls, total benefit

years, and program cost, accounting for both terminations and new allowances. Qualitative data are

collected through a limited number of case studies of affected children, their families, and service providers in four States.

b. Design and Implementation of Survey of Children with Disabilities

Due to the widely acknowledged shortcomings of existing data sources for evaluating the effects of

welfare reform on SSI children and for tracking SSI children unaffected by welfare reform, SSA has

undertaken to design and implement a national survey of children with disabilities. The last formal,
1999 SSI Annual Report

86

nationally representative survey of SSI children was conducted for SSA in 1978 by Urban Systems

Research & Engineering, Inc. Among the questions the survey will be designed to answer are the following: 

 • What is the cost of caring for a disabled child? 

 • What are the uses of SSI benefits? 

 • What alternative sources of care are available to disabled children who lose SSI benefits? 

 • How is quality of life and utilization of medical services impacted by gaining or losing SSI benefits? 

 • What is the impact of receiving childhood SSI benefits on parental labor force participation? 

The goal is to collect data that will allow SSA to further evaluate the effects of welfare reform on SSI

children and their families, as well as to evaluate future changes to the SSI program that may affect

children. This project consists of two broad activities: survey design and survey implementation. SSA

has awarded a survey design task order contract to Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Mathematica’s

tasks include designing the sampling plan, developing the survey instrument, pre-testing the survey

instrument, and drafting an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance package. A survey

implementation contract will be competed after the design is solidified. SSA currently anticipates

that data collection will begin late in calendar year 2000.

c. Policy Evaluation of the Overall Effects of Welfare Reform on SSA Programs—Phase I

Evaluation Design

Future cutbacks in non-SSA welfare programs may result in increased applications among some

groups of people. Awards to such applicants would increase the growth of SSA’s disability programs

and program costs. Thus, while some aspects of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996 (such as provisions restricting the eligibility of children) are expected to

decrease SSA caseloads and program costs, other changes (most notably the replacement of the Aid to

Families with Dependent Children program by block grants for Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families) may work in the opposite direction. Therefore, a comprehensive and unbiased evaluation of

the overall net effects of the welfare reform legislation must take account of the effect of non-SSA

welfare reform provisions on SSA’s programs. A task order contract was awarded to the Lewin Group

to propose an evaluation design for the Welfare Reform Act’s effect on non-SSA programs that might

affect applications and awards for SSA programs. The study proposes that the effects should be measured in combination with specific State demonstrations in selected States. The report reviews the

characteristics of many State demonstrations and highlights State evaluation projects in California,

Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Using nationally representative data before welfare

reform and State-to-State variations before welfare reform, the study assesses the likely magnitude

and direction of indirect welfare reform effects on SSA caseloads in the future. The study concludes

that they cannot be precisely measured with national level survey data matched to SSA records or

with State-to-State differences across time. As part of the analysis, the project provides descriptive

survey data of SSI participants by age and gender and statistically analyzes the transition onto SSI

with these data. In addition, it develops an analytic framework and methodology for future retrospective studies of the overall effects of welfare reform on SSA caseloads, and includes a systematic

assessment of existing and potential new data collection necessary to track the longer-term effects of

welfare reform on SSA caseloads.

d. Project NetWork

The Project NetWork demonstration was SSA’s first large-scale initiative to assist DI beneficiaries

and SSI applicants and recipients in returning to employment through a combination of intensive
87

1999 SSI Annual Report

outreach and case management services. A rigorous evaluation component based on a randomized

field experiment design has been an integral part of the demonstration design. Under contract with

SSA, Abt Associates, Inc. is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the Project NetWork demonstration. Because of their richness, the databases that are potentially available from the demonstration can be utilized to conduct studies focusing on issues relevant for targeting future SSA return-towork initiatives. The narrower objectives of the project focus on the Project NetWork case management approach. With help from contractors, a comprehensive administrative records database has

been developed by SSA staff containing detailed information on: 

 • 8,248 Project NetWork participants randomly assigned to receive case management services or

to a control group, and 

 • 138,613 eligible nonparticipants living in the demonstration areas.

The database includes information on the receipt of SSI and DI benefits and earnings, prior to the

demonstration period through the post-demonstration period, and a set of demographic and diagnostic variables. A wide array of survey data has been collected on a random sample of project eligibles—

covering all DI beneficiaries and SSI applicants and recipients—living in the demonstration areas.

Both project participants who volunteered for the demonstration and nonparticipants have

been interviewed at baseline. The survey data file contains information on both economic and

non-economic variables affecting the decision to volunteer for return-to-work programs that is not

available from SSA administrative record systems; for example, the survey has detailed information

on functional limitations, health (including mental health status), cognitive functioning, motivation,

and substance abuse. Study findings to date focus on the feasibility of applying case management on

a large scale, the feasibility of reaching out to hard-to-serve segments of beneficiaries and applicants,

and measures of project outcomes.

e. State Partnership Return-to-Work Demonstrations—Design and Implementation of the

Net Outcomes Evaluation

In the fall of 1998, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability and Income Security

Programs (SSA/ODISP) and the Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration

(ED/RSA) announced the award of 18 five-year State Partnership agreements and grants. These

projects are designed to assist States in developing alternative program structures and service delivery systems that increase the successful employment of persons with disabilities who are receiving

SSI and SSDI. A technical assistance, monitoring and data collection contract was also awarded by

SSA/ODISP at that time to facilitate consistent cross-site data collection from these demonstrations. 

SSA’s Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (SSA/ORES) will award in the spring of 1999, an

18-month task-order contract to evaluate the net impact of these projects. The contractor will design

a two-part comprehensive evaluation of the net-outcomes produced by the State demonstrations. The

Core net-outcome evaluation will rely primarily on SSA administrative data and will use appropriate

statistical methods to define comparison groups and determine the net impact of the State demonstrations on participants. To the extent made possible by the quality of additional demonstration data

from the States, the evaluation contractor will also implement a Supplemental net-outcome evaluation. Both of these aspects of the contract will focus primarily on the evaluation designs, but the contractor will be required to test and implement these evaluations for participants through the term of

the task order.
1999 SSI Annual Report

88

2. Bibliography

Adams, E. Kathleen, Marilyn Rymer Ellwood, and Penelope L. Pine. “Utilization and Expenditures

Under Medicaid for Supplemental Security Income Disabled.” Health Care Financing Review 11

(Fall 1989): 1-24.

Albritton, R. B. “Measuring Public Policy Impacts of the Supplemental Security Income Program.”

American Journal of Political Science 23, 3 (1979): 559-578.

Angel, R. J., J. L. Angel, G. Y. Lee, and K. S. Markides. “Age at Migration and Family Dependency

Among Older Mexican Immigrants.” Gerontologist 39, 1 (February 1999): 59-65.

Beedon, Laurel. What States are Providing for the Low-Income Aged: State SSI Supplements and Fiscal Well-Being. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Retired Persons Public Policy Institute.

1989.

Brady, Henry E. and Barbara West Snow. Data Systems and Statistical Requirements for the Personal

Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. Paper prepared for the Committee on National Statistics

Seminar on Developing Welfare Reform Statistics. University of California Data Archive and Technical Assistance, University of California, Berkeley. 1996.

Callison, James C. “Early Experience Under the Supplemental Security Income Program.” Social

Security Bulletin 37, 6 (June 1974): 3-11, 30.

Chang, G. G. “Supplemental Security Income Program—Revolution Needs Reform.” Cornell Law

Review 62, 2 (1977): 314-363.

Coe, Richard D. “Nonparticipation in the SSI Program by the Eligible Elderly.” Southern Economic

Journal 51, 3 (January 1985): 891-897.

Courtney, Mark E. Welfare Reform and Child Welfare Services. Paper prepared for Conference on

Child Welfare, Washington, D.C. Institute for Research on Poverty and School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison. October 1996.

Derthick, Martha. Agency Under Stress: The Social Security Administration in American Government. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 1990.

Diller, M. “Dissonant Disability Policies: The Tensions Between the Americans with Disabilities Act

and Federal Disability Benefit Programs.” Texas Law Review 76, 5 (April 1998): 1003-1082.

Drazga, Linda, Melinda Upp, and Virginia Reno. “Low-Income Aged: Eligibility and Participation in

SSI.” Social Security Bulletin 45, 5 (May 1982): 28-35.

Dunlop, T. W. “Psychological Documentation in Supplemental Security Income Claims Alleging Mental-Retardation.” Mental Retardation 20, 3 (1982): 136-139.

Estes, Carroll L. and Meredith Minkler. “Path to Poverty: An Analysis of Women’s Retirement

Income.” In Critical Gerontology: Perspectives from Political and Moral Economy, ed. C. Estes and

M. Minkler. Amityville, N.Y.: Baywood Pub., 1998.

Farel, A. M., D. R. McCarraher, N. Cotton, and J. A. McLaurin. “Opportunities for Older Children

and Adolescents with Disabilities Through the Supplemental Security Income Program.” Children’s

Health Care 24, 1 (Winter 1995): 21-32.

Ford, M. E. and J. B. Schwamm. “Expanding Eligibility for Supplemental Security Income Based on

Childhood Disability—The Zebley Decision.” Child Welfare 71, 4 (July-August 1992): 307-318.

Fox, Harriette and Ann Greaney. Disabled Children’s Access to Supplemental Security Income and

Medicaid Benefits. Fox Health Policy Consultants, Washington, D.C. 1989.
89

1999 SSI Annual Report

Friedberg, Leora. The Effect of Old Age Assistance on Retirement. National Bureau of Economic

Research Working Paper No. 6548, May 1998.

Fujiwara, Lynn H. “The Impact of Welfare Reform on Asian Immigrant Communities.” Social Justice

25 (Spring 1998): 82-104.

Gallmeier, C. P. and J. A. Levy. “Holding the Check Hostage—Representative Payees, Clients, and

the Underground Economy.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 26, 4 (January 1998): 395-425.

Goldhammer, A. “The Effect of New Vocational Regulations on Social Security and Supplemental

Security Income Disability Claims.” Administrative Law Review 32, 3 (1980): 501-510.

Gresenz, C. R., K. Watkins and D. Podus. “Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Disability Insurance

(DI), and Substance Abusers.” Community Mental Health Journal 34, 4 (August 1998): 337-350.

Grimaldi, Paul L. “Supplemental Security Income: the New Federal Program for the Aged, Blind, and

Disabled.” Studies in Social Security and Retirement Policy, AEI Studies 253. Washington, D.C.:

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1980.

________. “Distributive and Fiscal Impacts of the Supplemental Security Income Program.” Review of

Social Economy 36, 2 (October 1978): 175-196.

Grundmann, Herman. “Social Security Beneficiaries Receiving SSI Payments.” Social Security Bulletin 42, 8 (August 1979): 44-47.

Hannsgen, Greg P. and Steven H. Sandell. “Deeming Rules and the Increase in the Number of Children with Disabilities Receiving SSI: Evaluating the Effects of a Regulatory Change.” Social Security

Bulletin 59, 1 (Spring 1996): 43-51.

Hawkins, Sue C. “SSI: Trends in State Supplementation, 1979-81.” Social Security Bulletin 46, 6

(June 1983): 3-8.

________. “SSI: Characteristics of Persons Receiving Federally Administered State Supplementation

Only.” Social Security Bulletin 46, 4 (April 1983): 3-12.

________. “SSI: Trends in State Supplementation, 1974-78.” Social Security Bulletin 43, 7 (July 1980):

19-27.

________. “State Supplementation Under SSI, 1975.” Social Security Bulletin 40, 2 (February 1977):

12-20.

Hawkins, Sue C. and Donald E. Rigby. “Effect of SSI on Medicaid Caseloads and Expenditures.”

Social Security Bulletin 42, 2 (February 1979): 3-14.

Hill, Daniel H. “An Endogenously-Switching Ordered-Response Model of Information, Eligibility and

Participation in SSI.” Review of Economics and Statistics 72, 2 (May 1990): 368-371.

Horlick, Max. “Supplemental Security Income for the Aged: Foreign Experience.” Social Security Bulletin 36, 12 (December 1973): 3-12.

Houtsma, P. C. “1974 Developments in Welfare Law—Supplemental Security Income Program.” Cornell Law Review 60, 5 (1975): 825-856.

ICF, Incorporated. Rates of Participation of the Elderly in the Supplemental Security Income Program. Background Paper Series, No. 9, funded by American Association of Retired Persons. Baltimore, Md.: Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly People Living Alone. January 1988.

Joe, Tom and Alan Bogatay. The Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security

Income Program. University of Chicago, Center for the Study of Welfare Policy. 1980.
1999 SSI Annual Report

90

Kahn, Arthur L. “Program and Demographic Characteristics of Supplemental Security Income Recipients, December 1985.” Social Security Bulletin 50, 5 (May 1987): 23-57.

________. “Characteristics of Supplemental Security Income Recipients, December 1984.” Social

Security Bulletin 49, 4 (April 1986): 5-11.

________. “Employment and Supplemental Security Income.” Social Security Bulletin 45, 10

(October 1982): 27-31.

Kearney, John R. “The Work Incapacity and Reintegration Study: Results of the Initial Survey Conducted in the United States.” Social Security Bulletin 60, 3 (1997): 21-32.

Kearney, John R., Herman F. Grundmann, and Salvatore J. Gallicchio. “The Influence of OASDI and

SSI Payments on the Poverty Status of Families with Children.” Social Security Bulletin 58, 3

(Fall 1995): 3-14.

________. “The Influence of Social Security Benefits and SSI Payments on the Poverty Status of Children.” Social Security Bulletin 57, 2 (Summer 1994): 27-43.

Kennedy, Lenna D. “Women Aged 65 or Older Receiving SSI Payments, December 1996.” Social Security Bulletin 60, 4 (1997): 39-44.

________. “OASDI Beneficiaries and SSI Recipients with Representative Payees.” Social Security Bulletin 58, 4 (Winter 1995): 115-123.

________. “Children Receiving SSI Payments, December 1992.” Social Security Bulletin 56, 2 (Summer 1993): 77-83.

________. “Children Receiving SSI Payments, December 1991.” Social Security Bulletin 55, 2 (Summer 1992): 48-51.

________. “SSI: Trends and Changes, 1974-80.” Social Security Bulletin 45, 7 (July 1982): 3-12.

________. “Unearned Income of Supplemental Security Income Recipients, May 1982.” Social Security

Bulletin 46, 5 (May 1983): 3-6.

________. “Ineligible Spouses of SSI Beneficiaries, December 1976.” Social Security Bulletin 41, 8

(August 1978): 18-25.

________. “Income of SSI Recipients, December 1975.” Social Security Bulletin 40, 6 (June 1977): 

42-46.

________. “Concurrent Supplemental Security Income Payments and OASDI Cash Benefits.” Social

Security Bulletin 37, 12 (December 1974): 42-45, 49.

Kennedy, Lenna and Jack Schmulowitz. “SSI Payments to Lawfully Resident Aliens, 1978-79.” Social

Security Bulletin 43, 3 (March 1980): 3-10.

Kennedy, Lenna D., Charles G. Scott, and Alfreda M. Brooks. “SSI Recipients in Multi-Recipient

Households, March 1994.” Social Security Bulletin 58, 3 (Fall 1995): 49-54.

Kennedy, Lenna D., Dorothea Thomas, and Jack Schmulowitz. “Conversions to Supplemental Security Income from State Assistance: A Program Records Study.” Social Security Bulletin 38, 6

(June 1975): 17-32.

Kochhar, Satya. “Denial of SSI Applications Because of Excess Resources.” Social Security Bulletin

55, 2 (Summer 1992): 52-56.

________. “Development of Diagnostic Data in the 10-Percent Sample of Disabled SSI Recipients.”

Social Security Bulletin 54, 7 (July 1991): 10-21.
91

1999 SSI Annual Report

________. “Blind and Disabled Persons Awarded Federally Administered SSI Payments, 1975.” Social

Security Bulletin 42, 6 (June 1979): 13-23.

________. “Appeals Under the SSI Program: January 1974-August 1976.” Social Security Bulletin

42, 4 (April 1979): 24-32.

________. “SSI Recipients in Domiciliary Care Facilities: Federally Administered Optional Supplementation, March 1976.” Social Security Bulletin 40, 12 (December 1977): 17-28.

Kochhar, Satya and Charles Scott. “SSI Case Closures.” Social Security Bulletin 61, 1 (1998): 20-33.

________. “Living Arrangements of SSI Recipients.” Social Security Bulletin 60, 1 (1997): 18-28.

________. “Disability Patterns Among SSI Recipients.” Social Security Bulletin 58, 1 (Spring 1995): 

3-14.

Koitz, David, Geoffrey Kollmann, and Jim Cornelius. Current Social Security Issues. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Washington, D.C. 1996.

Kollmann, Geoffrey. Summary of Major Changes in the Social Security Cash Benefits Program: 1935-

1996. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Washington, D.C. 1996.

Kuhlthau, K., J. M. Perrin, S. L. Ettner, T. J. McLaughlin and S. L. Gortmaker. “High-Expenditure

Children with Supplemental Security Income.” Pediatrics 102, 3 (September 1998): 610-615.

Lahiri, Kajal, Denton R. Vaughan, and Bernard Wixon. “Modeling Social Security’s Sequential Disability Determination Using Matched SIPP Data.” Social Security Bulletin 58, 4 (Winter 1995): 3-42.

Leavitt, Thomas and James Schulz. The Role of the Asset Test in Program Eligibility and Participation: The Case of SSI. Brandeis University and American Association of Retired Persons Public Policy

Institute, Washington, D.C. 1988.

Lee, Che-Fu and Sharon Ardison. “Language Retention and Supplemental Security Income Among

Older Euro-American Communities.” Journal of Applied Gerontology 7, 1 (March 1988): 111-120.

Leiter, Valerie, Michelle L. Wood and Stephen H. Bell. “Case Management at Work for SSA Disability

Beneficiaries: Process Results of the Project NetWork Return-to-Work Demonstration.” Social Security Bulletin 60, 1 (1997): 29-48.

Liebman, L. “Definition of Disability in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income—Drawing

Bounds of Social Welfare Estates.” Harvard Law Review 89, 5 (1976): 833-867.

Louis Harris and Associates. Strategies to Increase Participation in the Supplemental Security Income

Program: Follow-Up Study of Poor Elderly People. Study No. 874012. Baltimore, Md.: Commonwealth

Fund Commission on Elderly People Living Alone. February 1988.

MaCurdy, Thomas and Margaret O’Brien-Strain. Reform Reversed? The Restoration of Welfare Benefits to Immigrants in California. Public Policy Institute, 1998.

Master, R. J. “Massachusetts Medicaid and the Community Medical Alliance: A New Approach to

Contracting and Care Delivery for Medicaid-Eligible Populations with AIDS and Severe Physical Disability.” American Journal of Managed Care 4 (June 25, 1998): SP90-SP98.

McCabe, S., E. R. Edgar, L. Mancuso, D. King, E. C. Ross, and B. D. Emery. “A National Study of

Housing Affordability for Recipients of Supplemental Security Income.” Hospital and Community

Psychiatry 44, 5 (May 1993): 494-495.

McCoy, John L. “Disabled-Worker Beneficiaries and Disabled SSI Recipients: A Profile of Demographic and Program Characteristics.” Social Security Bulletin 52, 5 (May 1989): 16-28.
1999 SSI Annual Report

92

McCoy, John L., Miles Davis, and Russell E. Hudson. “Geographic Patterns of Disability in the

United States.” Social Security Bulletin 57, 1 (Spring 1994): 25-36.

McGarry, Kathleen. “Factors Determining Participation of the Elderly in Supplemental Security

Income.” Journal of Human Resources 31, 2 (Spring 1996): 331-358.

McKay, J. R., A. T. McLellan, J. Durell, C. Ruetsch, and A. I. Alterman. “Characteristics of Recipients

of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits for Drug Addicts and Alcoholics.” Journal of Nervous

and Mental Disease 186, 5 (May 1998): 290-298.

Menefee, John A., Bea Edwards, and Sylvester J. Schieber. “Analysis of Nonparticipation in the SSI

Program.” Social Security Bulletin 44, 6 (June 1981): 3-21.

Meyer, D. R. and S. Bartolomei-Hill. “The Adequacy of Supplemental Security Income Benefits for

Aged Individuals and Couples.” Gerontologist 34, 2 (April 1994): 161-172.

Moon, Marilyn. “Supplemental Security Income, Asset Tests, and Equity.” Policy Analysis 6, 1 (Winter 1980): 1-20.

Morrison, Malcolm M. “Institutionalized SSI Recipients Covered by Medicaid, June 1977.” Social

Security Bulletin 41, 12 (December 1978): 24-30.

Muller, L. Scott, Charles G. Scott, and Barry V. Bye. “Labor-Force Participation and Earnings of SSI

Disability Recipients: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Times Series Approach to the Behavior of Individuals.” Social Security Bulletin 59, 1 (Spring 1996): 22-42.

Munnell, Alicia H. “Federalizing Welfare: The Fiscal Impact of the SSI Program.” New England Economic Review (September-October 1977): 3-28.

Nelson, William J. Jr. “Disability Trends in the United States: A National and Regional Perspective.”

Social Security Bulletin 57, 3 (Fall 1994): 27-41.

Neumark, David and Elizabeth Powers. Welfare for the Elderly: the Effects of SSI on Pre-Retirement

Labor Supply. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 6805, November 1998.

________. “The Effect of Means-tested Income Support for the Elderly on Pre-Retirement Saving: Evidence from the SSI Program in the U.S.” Journal of Public Economics 68, 2 (May 1998): 153-180.

Oberheu, Howard D. “Applications Received in 1987 and Allowance Rates for Supplemental Security

Income.” Social Security Bulletin 54, 7 (July 1991): 2-8.

Okpaku, S. “A Profile of Clients Referred for Psychiatric Evaluation for Social Security Disability

Income and Supplemental Security Income—Implications for Psychiatry.” American Journal of Psychiatry 142, 9 (1985): 1037-1043.

Palmer, D. B. “Constitutional Law—Durational Residency Requirements for Supplemental Security

Income for Indigent Aged, Blind, and Disabled.” Syracuse Law Review 25, 2 (1974): 674-689.

Parrott, Thomas M., Lenna D. Kennedy, and Charles G. Scott. “Noncitizens and the Supplemental

Security Income Program.” Social Security Bulletin 61, 4 (1998): 3-31.

Perrin, J. M., S. L. Ettner, T. J. McLaughlin, S. L. Gortmaker, S. R. Bloom, and K. Kuhlthau. “State

Variations in Supplemental Security Income Enrollment for Children and Adolescents.” American

Journal of Public Health 88, 6 (June 1998): 928-931.

Perrin, J. M., K. Kuhlthau, S. L. Ettner, T. J. McLaughlin, and S. L. Gortmaker. “Previous Medicaid

Status of Children Newly Enrolled in Supplemental Security Income.” Health Care Financing Review

19, 4 (Summer 1998): 117-127.
93

1999 SSI Annual Report

Perrin, J. M., K. Kuhlthau, T. J. McLaughlin, S. L. Ettner, and S. L. Gortmaker. “Changing Patterns

of Conditions Among Children Receiving Supplemental Security Income Disability Benefits.”

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 153, 1 (January 1999): 80-84.

Pickett, Clark D. and Charles G. Scott. “Reinventing SSI Statistics: SSA’s New Longitudinal File.”

Social Security Bulletin 59, 2 (Summer 1996): 31-56.

Ponce, Elsa Orley. “State Optional Supplementation of SSI Payments, 1974-95.” Social Security Bulletin 59, 1 (Spring 1996): 52-66.

Ponce, Elsa Orley and Donald Rigby. “SSI Recipients in Medicaid Institutions, December 1979.”

Social Security Bulletin 44, 4 (April 1981): 32-37, 47.

Prero, Aaron J. “Shifting the Cost of Self-Pay for SSI Workers in Supported Employment.” Social

Security Bulletin 56, 1 (Spring 1993): 44-51.

Prero, Aaron J. and Craig Thornton. “Transitional Employment Training for SSI Recipients with

Mental Retardation.” Social Security Bulletin 54, 11 (November 1991): 2-25.

Radin, Beryl A. “Can We Learn from Experience? The Case of SSI.” Policy Analysis 2, 4 (Fall 1976):

615-621.

Reischauer, Robert. Reducing Entitlement Spending. Congressional Budget Office, Washington, D.C.

1994.

Rigby, Donald E. “SSI Work Incentive Participants, September 1991.” Social Security Bulletin 54, 12

(December 1991): 22-29.

________. “State Supplementation Under Federal SSI Program.” Social Security Bulletin 37, 11

(November 1974): 21-28.

Rigby, Donald E. and Elsa Orley Ponce. “Supplemental Security Income: Optional State Supplementation, October 1977.” Social Security Bulletin 42, 10 (October 1979): 11-17.

Rochefort, David A. “Public Policies for a Graying America: Medicare, the Older Americans Act,

Social Security, and Supplemental Security Income.” In American Social Welfare Policy: Dynamics of

Formulation and Change. Boulder, CO.: Westview Press, 1986.

Rocklin, Sarah G. and David R. Mattson. “The Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans

Act: Legislative History and Summary of Provisions.” Social Security Bulletin 50, 3 (March 1987): 

25-35.

Rupp, Kalman and Charles G. Scott. “Trends in the Characteristics of DI and SSI Disability Awardees and Duration of Program Participation.” Social Security Bulletin 59, 1 (Spring 1996): 3-21.

________. “Length of Stay on the Supplemental Security Income Disability Program.” Social Security

Bulletin 58, 1 (Spring 1995): 29-47.

Rush, T. V. “Supplemental Security Income and the Northern Mariana Islands.” Social Security

Administration, Research and Statistics Note No. 4. June 19, 1979.

Sandell, Steven H. and Howard M. Iams. “Reducing Women’s Poverty by Shifting Social Security

Benefits from Retired Couples to Widows.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 16, 2 (Spring

1997): 279-297.

Schieber, Sylvester J. “First Year Impact of SSI on Economic Status of 1973 Adult Assistance Populations.” Social Security Bulletin 41, 2 (February 1978): 18-46.

Schmulowitz, Jack. “SSI and the Low-Income Population: Commentary.” Social Security Bulletin

51, 9 (September 1988): 18, 68-69.
1999 SSI Annual Report

94

Schmulowitz, Jack and Richard A. Bell. “American Indian SSI Recipients in Selected Areas.” Social

Security Bulletin 40, 7 (July 1977): 42-46.

Schwamm, J. B. “Childhood Disability Determination for Supplemental Security Income—Implementing the Zebley Decision.” Children and Youth Services Review 18, 7 (1996): 621-635.

Scott, Charles G. “SSI Case Closures.” Social Security Bulletin 55, 4 (Winter 1992): 15-21.

________. “Disabled SSI Recipients Who Work.” Social Security Bulletin 55, 1 (Spring 1992): 26-36.

________. “Aged SSI Recipients: Income, Work History, and Social Security Benefits.” Social Security

Bulletin 54, 8 (August 1991): 2-11.

________. “Living Arrangements of SSI Recipients.” Social Security Bulletin 53, 7 (July 1990): 14-25.

________. “Resources of Supplemental Security Income Recipients.” Social Security Bulletin 52, 8

(August 1989): 2-9.

________. “A Study of Supplemental Security Income Awardees.” Social Security Bulletin 52, 2 (February 1989): 2-13.

Scott, Charles G., Ruthellen Mulberg, and Howard Oberheu. “SSA’s Outreach Efforts to Contact Beneficiaries Eligible for SSI Payments.” Social Security Bulletin 51, 1 (January 1988): 12-17.

Sherman, Sally R. “Comparison of Aged OASDI and SSI Recipients, 1974.” Social Security Bulletin

42, 1 (January 1979): 40-44.

Shiels, J., B. Barnow, K. Chaurette, J. Constatine, and S. Bartolomei-Hill. Elderly Persons Eligible

for and Participating in the Supplemental Security Income Program: Summary and Implications.

Lewin/ICF and U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Income Security Policy,

Washington, D.C. 1990.

Shuptrine, Sarah and Vicki Grant. SSI Application Barriers and Denial of Benefits to Elderly Applicants. The Villers Foundation/Families U.S.A. Foundation, Columbia, S.C. 1989.

Solomon, Carmen. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Drug Addicts and Alcoholics: Welfare Reform

in the 104th Congress. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C. 1995.

Staples, Thomas G. “Supplemental Security Income: The Aged Eligible.” Social Security Bulletin

36, 7 (July 1973): 31-35.

Stapleton, David, Burt Barnow, Kevin Coleman, Kimberly Dietrich, Jeff Furman, and Gilbert Lo.

Labor Market Conditions, Socioeconomic Factors, and the Growth of Applications and Awards for

SSDI and SSI Disability Benefits, final report and appendix prepared under contract to the Office of

the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services

and the Social Security Administration, May 23, 1995.

Storey, J. R. “New Supplemental Security Income—Implications for Other Benefit Programs.” Policy

Sciences 6, 3 (1975): 359-374.

Stratton, Joyce. Supplemental Security Income Outreach: Overcoming Stigma. City University of

New York, 1989.

Streett, Craig A. “State Programs and Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled, April 1987.” Social Security Bulletin 50, 5 (May 1987): 67-70.

Taylor, H., Michael Kagay, and Stuart Leichenko. Problems Facing Elderly Americans Living Alone.

Louis Harris and Associates, New York. 1986.
95

1999 SSI Annual Report

Thomas, Dorothea and Richard A. Bell. “SSI Payments in Metropolitan Areas.” Social Security Bulletin 39, 4 (April 1976): 23-27.

Tissue, Thomas. “Response to Recipiency Under Public Assistance and SSI.” Social Security Bulletin

41, 11 (November 1978): 3-15.

Trout, John and David R. Mattson. “A 10-Year Review of the Supplemental Security Income Program.” Social Security Bulletin 47, 1 (January 1984): 3-24.

U. S. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Use of Representative Payees in the Social

Security and Supplemental Security Income Programs: Hearing. March 22, 1989.

U. S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Aging. Outreach in the Supplemental Security Income

Program: Are the Needy Being Informed?: Hearing. April 5, 1990.

U. S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Aging. The Elimination of Poverty Among the Elderly:

Supplemental Security Income Reform: Hearing. 1988.

U. S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Aging. Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Repairing

the Safety Net: Hearing. June 27, 1988.

U. S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Aging. The Forgotten Safety Net: The Supplemental

Security Income (SSI) Program: Hearing. September 10, 1987.

U. S. Congress. House. Subcommittee on Human Resources. Proposals to Improve the Supplemental

Security Income Program: Hearing. 1989.

U. S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Growth of the Supplemental Security Income Program: Hearing. March 27, 1995.

U. S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. The Supplemental Security Income Program: Hearing. 1977.

U. S. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging. Supplemental Security Income Program: a 

10-Year Overview: An Information Paper. May 1984.

U. S. General Accounting Office. Supplemental Security Income: SSA is Taking Steps to Review Recipients’ Disability Status. Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight, and the Chairman,

Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways and Means, U. S. House of Representatives.

GAO/HEHS-97-17. 1996.

U. S. General Accounting Office. Supplemental Security Income: Some Recipients Transfer Valuable

Resources to Qualify for Benefits. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO/HEHS-96-79. 1996.

U. S. General Accounting Office. Supplemental Security Income: Growth and Changes in Recipient

Population Call for Reexamining Program. Report to the Chairman, Committee on Finance, U. S.

Senate, and the Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, U. S. House of Representatives.

July 1995.

U. S. Social Security Administration. Quarterly Report on SSI Disabled Workers and Work Incentive

Provisions. Quarterly publication of the Office of Research, Evaluation and Statistics.

U. S. Social Security Administration. Children Receiving SSI. Semi-annual publication of the Office

of Research, Evaluation and Statistics.

U. S. Social Security Administration. Supplemental Security Income Modernization Project, Final

Report of the Experts. Baltimore, MD. 1992.
1999 SSI Annual Report

96

Van Hook, Jennifer V. and Frank D. Bean. “The Growth in Noncitizen SSI Caseloads 1979-1996:

Aging Versus New Immigrant Effects.” Journals of Gerontology Series B – Psychological Sciences and

Social Sciences 54, 1 (January 1999): S16-S23.

Van Hook, Jennifer V., Frank D. Bean and Jennifer E. Glick. “The Development and Assessment of

Census-Based Measures of AFDC and SSI Recipiency.” Journal of Economic and Social Measurement

22, 1 (1996): 1-23.

Warlick, Jennifer L. “Participation of the Aged in SSI.” Journal of Human Resources 17, 2

(Spring 1982): 236-260.

Wixon, Bernard and Denton R. Vaughan. Two Papers on a New SIPP-Based Microsimulation Model

of SSI and OASDI. ORS Working Paper No. 54, Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security

Administration, December 1991.

Wu, Ke Bin. “Sources of Income for Older Persons in 1995.” PPI Data Digest 32 (1998): 1-6.

Yelowitz, Aaron S. “Why Did the SSI-Disabled Program Grow So Much? Disentangling the Effect of

Medicaid.” Journal of Health Economics 17, 3 (June 1998): 321-349.

________. Using the Medicare Buy-in Program to Estimate the Effect of Medicaid on SSI Participation. University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Economics Working Paper No. 753,

May 1996.

Zander, Mary. Toward Income Adequacy for the Elderly Poor: Implications of the SSI (Supplemental

Security Income) Program for New York City Recipients. New York: Community Service Society of

New York. January 1982.

Zedlewski, Sheila R. and Jack A. Meyer. “Toward Ending Poverty Among the Elderly and Disabled

Through SSI Reform.” Urban Institute Report, 89-1 (1989).
97

1999 SSI Annual Report

H. GLOSSARY

Administrative Expenses (or Costs). Expenses incurred by the Social Security Administration in

administering the SSI program. Such administrative expenses are initially paid from the OASI and

DI Trust Funds as provided for in section 201(g)(1) of the Social Security Act. The trust funds are

subsequently reimbursed for such expenditures from the General Fund of the Treasury.

Affidavit of Support. A contract under which a United States citizen or legal resident agrees to provide support to maintain (i.e., to sponsor) an immigrant as a condition of the immigrant’s admission

into the United States.

Aged. Individuals aged 65 or older.

Aid—Old-Age Assistance (OAA), Aid to the Blind (AB), and Aid to the Permanently and

Totally Disabled (APTD). The former Federal-State programs of adult cash assistance under

titles I, X, and XVI respectively, that were replaced in the 50 States and the District of Columbia by

the SSI program in 1974. These programs still operate in Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico

and are administered at the Federal level by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence. A noncitizen lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States. Such individuals may be issued immigrant visas

overseas by the Department of State, or adjusted to permanent resident status while living in the

United States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Appeal Rights Process. The administrative review process followed by SSA in determining an individual’s rights under the Social Security Act. The administrative review process consists of several

steps, which must be requested after the initial determination of eligibility, within certain time periods and in the following order: (1) reconsideration, (2) hearing before an administrative law judge,

and (3) an Appeals Council review.

Assistance Based on Need. Assistance that is provided by certain programs which use income as a

factor of eligibility. The assistance must be funded wholly by a State, a political subdivision of a State,

or a combination of such jurisdictions.

Assumptions. Values relating to future trends in certain key factors which affect the eligibility for

SSI benefits and the level of such SSI payments. Demographic assumptions include fertility, mortality, net immigration, marriage, divorce, retirement patterns, disability incidence and termination

rates, and changes in the labor force. Economic assumptions include unemployment, average earnings, inflation, interest rates, and productivity. The assumptions underlying the projections presented in this report are consistent with the intermediate assumptions of the 1999 OASDI Trustees

Report.

Asylee. A noncitizen already in the United States or at a port-of-entry who is granted asylum in

the United States. Asylum may be granted to an individual who is unable or unwilling to return to

his/her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country, because of persecution (or a

well-founded fear of persecution) based on the noncitizen’s race, religion, nationality, membership in

a particular social group or political opinion.

Attendant Care Services. Services (including personal care assistance) that are paid for from Federal, State or local funds and which are provided by a paid attendant required to assist with work

related and/or personal functions. 

Automatic Cost-of-Living Increase. The annual increase in SSI Federal benefit rates, effective for

January, reflecting the change in the cost of living. The increase equals the percentage increase in the

Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers measured from the average

over July, August, and September of the preceding year to the average for the same 3 months in the
1999 SSI Annual Report

98

current year. If the increase is less than one-tenth of 1 percent, when rounded, there is no automatic

increase for the current year; the increase for the next year would reflect the increase in the cost of

living over a 2-year period.

Award. An administrative determination that an individual is eligible for an SSI benefit.

Blind. For purposes of the SSI program, an individual is considered to be blind if he/she has 20/200

or less vision in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens, has tunnel vision of 20 degrees or

less, or met the October 1972 State definition of blindness and received benefits under the State’s

former program of Aid to the Blind in December 1973.

Blind Work Expenses (BWE). Any expenses incurred by a blind individual that are reasonably

attributable to earning income. The BWE provision permits the exclusion of these expenses from the

earned income of a blind individual. (See “Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)” for the

related exclusions for disabled individuals.)

Burial Funds. A comprehensive term that for SSI purposes includes revocable burial contracts,

trusts and other burial arrangements (including amounts paid on installment sales contracts for

burial spaces), cash, accounts, or other financial instruments with a definite cash value clearly designated for the individual’s burial expenses.

Child. An unmarried blind or disabled individual who is not the head of a household and who is

either under age 18 or aged 18-21 and regularly attending school. 

Comparable Severity. The phrase in the Social Security Act that defined disability for children

prior to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996

(Public Law 104-193). Under prior law, an individual under age 18 would have been considered disabled if he/she had an impairment of comparable severity to that required for individuals 18 or older.

Constant Dollars. Dollar amounts adjusted by the CPI to the value of the dollar in a particular

year.

Consumer Price Index—CPI. Relative measure of inflation. In this report, all references to the

CPI relate to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Continuing Disability Review (CDR). An evaluation of an individual’s impairment(s) to determine whether the person is still disabled within the meaning of the law for purposes of eligibility for

SSI and OASDI benefits.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). See “Automatic Cost-of-Living Increase.”

Countable Income. An individual’s income less all-applicable exclusions. This amount is used to

determine SSI eligibility.

Countable Resources. The amount of resources after all exclusions. This amount is used in determining an individual’s or couple’s SSI eligibility. A resource may be cash or other liquid assets or any

real or personal property that an individual (or his/her spouse) owns and could convert to cash to be

used for their support and maintenance. SSI law stipulates what items are to be excluded from

resources. 

Current Dollars. Amounts expressed in nominal dollars with no adjustment for inflationary

changes in the value of the dollar over time.

Current-Payment Status. Status of an SSI recipient to whom a benefit is being paid for a given

month. SSI benefits for a month are usually payable on the first day of that month.
99

1999 SSI Annual Report

Dedicated Account. A bank account established for a disabled or blind child to contain retroactive

SSI payments that exceed six times the FBR plus State supplementation (certain smaller retroactive

payments may be placed in the account once it is established). Funds may be used for: 

 • Education,

 • Personal needs assistance,

 • Special equipment or housing modifications,

 • Medical treatment,

 • Therapy or rehabilitation, or

 • Other items or services that the Commissioner deems appropriate—

provided that the expense benefits the child and, in the case of the last four items, is related to the

child’s impairment. Money from a dedicated account which is misapplied must be repaid. These

accounts are excluded from resources and the interest earned is excluded from income.

Deeming. The process by which the income and resources of an ineligible individual are considered

to be available to a recipient when determining eligibility or payment amount. Deeming applies only

between:

 • The living-with ineligible spouse and the eligible spouse,

 • The living-with ineligible parent(s) and eligible child(ren) under age 18, and

 • The immigration sponsors of some noncitizens and the noncitizen(s).

Demographic Assumptions. See “Assumptions.”

Disability. For individuals aged 18 or older, the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be

expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of at

least 12 months. An individual under age 18 must have a medically determinable physical or mental

impairment, which results in marked and severe functional limitations and which has lasted or can

be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

Disability Determination Services (DDS). Federally funded State agencies that make disability

determinations for SSA.

Disaster Assistance. Assistance from Federal programs and agencies, joint Federal and State programs, State or local government programs, and private organizations (e.g., the Red Cross) provided

to victims of a Presidentially declared disaster.

Earned Income. For SSI purposes, wages, net earnings from self-employment, remuneration for

work in a sheltered workshop, royalties on published work, and honoraria for services rendered are

considered earned income. The distinction between earned and unearned income is significant

because more liberal exclusions are applied to earned income.

Earned Income Disregard. The first $65 of a recipient’s monthly earnings and one-half of the earnings in excess of $65 are excluded in computing the SSI benefit payable.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A special tax credit that reduces the Federal tax liability of

certain low-income working taxpayers. This tax credit may or may not result in a payment to the taxpayer.

Effective Date of Application. An application for SSI benefits is effective on the first day of the

month following the date on which the application is filed, or on which the individual first becomes

eligible, whichever is later. 

Eligible Couple. Two persons married and living together in the same household or living together

as married, both being aged, blind, or disabled and eligible for SSI.

Eligible Individual. An aged, blind or disabled person who meets all the requirements for eligibility

under the SSI program, including filing an application.
1999 SSI Annual Report

100

Emergency Advance Payments (EAP). Special SSI payments that are available only at the time

of initial application for eligible individuals who face financial emergencies and need assistance

before their first benefits would otherwise be received. The amount of the EAP an individual receives

is recovered from subsequent benefit payments.

Federal Benefit Rate (FBR). The basic standard used in computing the amount of Federal SSI

benefits for individuals and couples. The FBRs are increased annually to reflect increases in the cost

of living. Effective January 1999, the FBR for individuals is $500 a month and $751 a month for eligible couples. (See table IV.A2.)

Fiscal Year (FY). The accounting year of the United States Government. Since 1976, a fiscal year is

the 12-month period ending September 30. For example, fiscal year 1999 began October 1, 1998 and

will end September 30, 1999.

Food Stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under cooperative Federal-State agreements, issues Food Stamp Program benefits in the form of paper food coupons (commonly known as

food stamps) and through electronic benefit transfer, to provide nutrition for low-income families.

Food stamps can be used only to buy food at stores authorized by USDA to accept them.

General Fund of the Treasury. Funds held by the Treasury of the United States, other than

receipts collected for a specific purpose (such as Social Security) and maintained in a separate

account for that purpose.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The total market value of goods and services produced by labor

and property located in the United States, regardless of who supplies the labor or property. 

Holding-Out Marriage. A situation in which a man and woman who are not legally married to each

other are living together in the same household and holding out to the community that they are husband and wife and, as such, are treated as a couple for purposes of determining eligibility and payment amount under SSI.

Home Energy Assistance. A Federal Government block grant program that provides funds to

States for energy assistance (including weatherization) to low-income households. This assistance

may be provided by a variety of agencies (e.g., State or local welfare offices, community action agencies, special energy offices, etc.) and may be known by a variety of names (e.g., Low Income Home

Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Project Safe, etc.).

Household. A group of two or more individuals who use a single dwelling unit as primary quarters

for living and eating separate from other individuals’ living units.

Household of Another. An individual is considered to be living in the household of another when

the individual lives with others, does not own or rent the shelter, and does not pay a pro rata share of

the household’s food and shelter expenses. An individual who provides all of his/her own food, or lives

in a public assistance household or in non-institutional care, is not considered to be living in the

household of another. An individual who is determined to be living in the household of another is considered to be receiving in-kind support and maintenance from that household, and his/her SSI benefit

is reduced by one-third of the FBR. 

Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE). The provision that permits the exclusion from

earnings of the costs of items and services which are needed in order for a disabled individual to

work, which are paid for by the individual, and which are necessarily incurred by that individual

because of a physical or mental impairment. These IRWE’s are excluded from earnings when determining substantial gainful activity (SGA) or computing eligibility and ongoing SSI monthly payments. (See “Blind Work Expenses (BWE)” for the related exclusions for blind individuals.)

Income. See—“Earned Income,” “In-Kind Income” and “Unearned Income.”

Ineligible Spouse. The husband or wife of an eligible individual who is not eligible for SSI benefits.
101

1999 SSI Annual Report

Inflation. An increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods, resulting in an

increase in the general price level.

Infrequent or Irregular Income. Income that is received either infrequently or irregularly that

can be excluded from the determination of an individual’s income, provided that the total of this

income does not exceed $10 per month of earned income and $20 per month of unearned income.

Infrequent means that it is not received more than once in a calendar quarter from a single source.

Irregular means that an individual could not reasonably expect to receive the income.

Initial Determination. A determination SSA makes about an individual’s eligibility for benefits or

about any other matter that gives that person a right to further administrative and/or judicial review.

In-Kind Income. Income that is not cash, but is food, clothing or shelter or something an individual

can use to obtain food, clothing or shelter.

In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM). Unearned income in the form of food, clothing, or shelter or any combination of these.

Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR). The process used for reimbursing for basic assistance

provided by a State to an individual either while the individual’s application for SSI was pending or

during the period in which an individual’s SSI benefits were suspended. SSA may reimburse a State

that has provided this assistance. The individual’s retroactive SSI payment is sent to the State as

reimbursement if: (1) the State has an agreement with SSA to participate in IAR, (2) the individual

has given SSA written authorization to have his/her retroactive payment sent to the State as reimbursement, and (3) the individual is found eligible for SSI benefits or has had his/her benefits reinstated for the same period of suspense. 

Under IAR, after States reimburse themselves from an individual’s retroactive benefit, they must forward any remainder to the individual within 10 days.

Living With. A required condition for parent-to-child and spouse-to-spouse deeming. Deeming of

income and resources occurs if a child lives with his/her parents or an individual lives with his/her

spouse. 

Maintenance-of-Effort. See “Passalong.”

Mandatory State Supplementation. See “State Supplementation.”

Means-Testing. The measuring of income and resources against specified amounts as eligibility factors for certain assistance benefits. SSI is a means-tested benefit program.

Medicaid. The program authorized under title XIX of the Social Security Act, which provides medical assistance to certain low-income individuals and families and certain disabled and medically

needy individuals. Medicaid is administered by the States with support from the Federal Government in the form of matching grants. The Federal Government provides guidelines to the States for

formulating their programs. Because these guidelines afford great leeway, Medicaid programs vary

widely among the States.

Medicaid Facility. A medical care facility such as a hospital, extended care facility, nursing home,

or intermediate care facility, where Medicaid pays more than 50 percent of the cost of a person’s care.

Medical Facility. An establishment that makes available some treatment or services in addition to

food and shelter to four or more persons who are not related to the proprietor.

New Entrant. An SSI recipient in the first month of SSI payment receipt.

Noncitizen. An individual who is not a United States citizen. Also referred to in welfare and immigration law as an alien. (See “Alien Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence,” “Asylee,” “Parolee”

and “Refugee.”)
1999 SSI Annual Report

102

Nonqualified Alien. A noncitizen who is not in a qualified alien category for SSI eligibility purposes. Public Law 105-306, the Noncitizen Benefit Clarification and Other Technical Amendments

Act of 1998, permanently extended SSI eligibility of all nonqualified aliens who were receiving SSI

benefits on August 22, 1996 provided all other eligibility requirements continue to be met.

OASDI. The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance programs established under title II of the

Social Security Act.

One-Third Reduction. The reduction of an individual’s SSI payment that occurs when an individual is living in the household of another. Instead of determining the actual dollar value of in-kind

support and maintenance, one-third of the Federal benefit rate is counted as additional income to an

individual living in another person’s household for a full calendar month and receiving both food and

shelter from the household.

Optional State Supplementation. See “State Supplementation.”

Overpayment. The payment of more than the amount due for any period, including any amounts of

Federally administered State supplementary payments.

Parent. For SSI purposes, the natural mother or father of the child, or the person who legally

adopted the child, or the stepparent who lives in the same household as the child.

Parolee. A noncitizen, who appears to be inadmissible to the inspecting INS officer, but is allowed to

enter the United States under emergency humanitarian conditions or when the noncitizen’s entry is

determined to be in the public interest. Parole does not constitute a formal admission to the United

States and confers temporary admission status only, requiring parolees to leave when the conditions

supporting their parole cease to exist.

Passalong. A requirement that States must meet in order to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement.

Any State making supplementary payments (see “State Supplementation”) after June 30, 1977, must

continue making such payments and must pass along any cost-of-living increase to the Federal benefit rate. Two methods are available to ensure that cost-of-living increases are passed on to the recipients.

 • Total Expenditures Method—State expenditures for supplementary payments in the current calendar year must at least equal expenditures in the preceding calendar year. If expenditures are

less in the current year (shortfall), the State must increase expenditures in the next calendar

year by an amount at least equal to the shortfall.

 • Payment Levels Method—States may not lower their supplementary payment for any of the living arrangement categories below their adjusted March 1983 levels. The adjusted level is the

State’s March 1983 payment level minus that portion of the July 1983 increase in the Federal

benefit rate that was not attributable to the increase in the cost of living (i.e., $10.30 per individual and $15.40 per couple).

Payment Accuracy. The accuracy rate reflects the percent of dollars in SSI benefits that are paid

correctly. One measure of the quality of the SSI program and SSA’s stewardship of it, based on

reviews conducted by SSA to determine the accuracy of the payment and compliance with national

instructions and goals. 

Personal Needs Allowance. The amount allowed for an institutionalized recipient’s personal needs

(currently $30). If an SSI recipient is in a Medicaid facility, the law requires that the SSI benefit be

used only for the recipient’s personal needs (i.e., that the institution cannot retain the benefit in

repayment of the cost of the individual’s care).

Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS). A plan that permits a disabled or blind SSI recipient to

set aside earned or unearned income and resources for a work goal. The income or resources set

aside under a PASS are used to pay for goods or services needed to reach that goal, such as education,

vocational training, starting a business, or purchasing work-related equipment. Income and
103

1999 SSI Annual Report

resources set aside under a PASS are excluded from SSI income and resources. SSA must approve an

individual’s PASS.

Population in the Social Security Area. The population comprised of (i) residents of the 50 States

and the District of Columbia (adjusted for net census undercount); (ii) civilian residents of Puerto

Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa; (iii) Federal civilian employees and persons in

the Armed Forces abroad and their dependents; (iv) crew members of merchant vessels; and (v) all

other U.S. citizens abroad.

Presumptive Disability or Blindness. A finding that SSI benefits may be paid before SSA makes

a formal determination as to whether or not the individual is disabled or blind. The individual’s

impairment must be apparent and meet specified criteria. In addition, the individual must meet all

other requirements for eligibility. These benefits may be paid for no more than 6 months. The presumptive benefits will not be considered overpayments if SSA later finds that the individual is not

blind or disabled.

Property Essential for Self-Support (PESS). The real and personal property used in a trade or

business, non-business income-producing property and property used to produce goods or services

essential to the individual’s daily activities. PESS may be excluded from resources under certain conditions. 

Proration of Benefits. The method of computing benefit amounts in months in which the individual reacquires eligibility after a month or more of ineligibility. In such months, an individual’s SSI

benefit will be paid according to the number of days in the month that he/she is eligible, beginning

with the first day in the month on which all eligibility requirements are met. In order to determine

the benefit payable in a prorated month SSA counts the number of days an individual is eligible in

the month. The amount of the individual’s regular monthly payment is multiplied by the number of

days for which he/she is eligible for benefits. That figure is divided by the number of days in the

month for which the benefit is being determined. The resulting amount is the amount due for the prorated month. After 1996, proration for months of initial eligibility was eliminated.

Public Educational Institution. An institution that is operated by or controlled by the Federal

Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State such as a city or county for the primary purpose of providing educational or vocational training. 

Public Emergency Shelter. A shelter for individuals whose homelessness poses a threat to their

life or health. 

Public Institution. An institution that is operated by or controlled by the Federal Government, a

State, or a political subdivision of a State such as a city or county. 

Publicly Operated Community Residence. A facility that provides food and shelter and some

other service such as social services, help with personal living activities, training in socialization and

life skills, or occasional or incidental medical or remedial care. In order to be publicly operated it

must be operated or controlled by the Federal Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a

State such as a city or county. 

Qualified Alien. An individual who is:

 • Lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA);

 • A refugee under section 207 of the INA;

 • An asylee under section 208 of the INA;

 • A person whose deportation is withheld under section 243(h) of the INA as in effect prior to

April 1, 1997, or whose removal has been withheld under section 241(b)(3) of the INA;

 • A parolee under section 212(d)(5) of the INA for at least one year;

 • A person granted conditional entry under section 203(a)(7) of the INA as in effect prior to

April 1, 1980;
1999 SSI Annual Report

104

 • A Cuban or Haitian entrant as defined in section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act

of 1980; or

 • A certain alien, or an alien parent of a child, or an alien child of a parent who has:

— Been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the United States by a spouse, parent, or

certain other family members the alien, parent and/or child lived with;

— Been determined to need SSI because of this abuse; and

— A determination from the INS for a certain change in status.

Qualifying Quarter of Earnings. Credit for a requisite amount of earnings assigned to a calendar

quarter for the purpose of determining the SSI eligibility of a lawfully admitted permanent resident.

Quarter of Coverage. The crediting of coverage needed for insured status under the Social Security

program. A worker receives one quarter of coverage (up to four a year) for a designated amount of

annual earnings reported from employment or self-employment. This dollar amount is subject to

annual automatic increases in proportion to increases in average earnings.

Recipient. A person who has been awarded SSI payments based on an evaluation of his/her own

countable income and resources, age, and disability status.

Reconsideration. The first step in the administrative review process if an individual is dissatisfied

with SSA’s initial determination.

Redetermination. A periodic review of eligibility for SSI recipients to assure that requirements for

eligibility continue to be met and that payment levels are in the proper amount. Income, resources,

living arrangements and other factors are reviewed. The redetermination process does not review the

determination of disability. 

Refugee. A noncitizen outside of his/her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return

to his/her country of nationality or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution (or a

well-founded fear of persecution) based on the noncitizen’s race, religion, nationality, membership in

a particular social group or political opinion. Unlike asylees, refugees apply for and receive this status prior to entry into the United States.

Relocation Assistance. A type of assistance provided to persons displaced by projects that acquire

real property. Examples of types of reimbursement, allowances, and help provided are:

 • Moving expenses,

 • Reimbursement for losses of tangible property,

 • Displacement allowances,

 • Amounts required to replace a dwelling which exceed the agency’s acquisition cost for the prior

dwelling,

 • Rental expenses for displaced tenants,

 • Amounts for down payments on replacement housing for tenants who decide to buy,

 • Mortgage insurance through Federal programs with waiver of requirements that borrowers must

usually meet, and

 • Replacement housing.

Representative Payee. A person who receives SSI payments on behalf of an SSI recipient. SSA will

pay benefits to a representative payee on behalf of an individual 18 years old or older when it appears

that such method of payment will be in the best interest of the individual. A representative payee will

be appointed if the individual is legally incompetent or mentally or physically incapable of managing

or directing the management of his/her benefits. Also, in general, if the individual is under the age

of 18, a representative payee will be appointed.

Resident of a Public Institution. An individual who can receive substantially all of his/her food

and shelter while living in a public institution is considered a resident of the public institution. Generally, an individual who is a resident of a public institution throughout a month is ineligible for SSI.
105

1999 SSI Annual Report

Resident of the United States. A person who has established an actual dwelling place within the

geographical limits of the United States with the intent to continue to live in the United States.

(See “United States.”)

Resource. The cash or other liquid assets or any real or personal property of an individual (or

his/her spouse, if any) that he or she could use or could convert to cash to be used for his/her support

and maintenance.

Retroactive Payments. The SSI payments made in a month later than the month or months in

which they were due. Also referred to as “past-due” benefits.

Retrospective Monthly Accounting (RMA). The calculation method used in the SSI program to

determine an individual’s eligibility for each month. RMA has two parts: an eligibility determination

and a payment computation. If the individual is ineligible based on the current month’s factors

(including the current month’s countable income), no payment is due and none is paid. If the individual is eligible based on the current month’s factors, payment is computed. The benefit for a month is

generally based on the countable income from the second month before the current month. The basic

formula is to subtract the countable income from 2 months previous from the current month’s Federal

benefit rate.

Section 1619(a) Status. The special SSI cash benefits provided to disabled individuals who lose eligibility for SSI benefits under the regular rules because they have earnings at the level that is ordinarily considered to represent substantial gainful activity.

Section 1619(b) Status. The special SSI recipient status for Medicaid purposes provided to working

disabled or blind individuals when their earnings make them ineligible for regular or special cash

payments.

Sponsor. An individual who has signed an affidavit of support for a noncitizen entering the country.

State Supplementation. The payments made by a State or one of its political subdivisions to aged,

blind, or disabled individuals.

 • Administration—The governmental unit responsible for administering State supplementary

payments may be either a State or local agency or SSA. Under State administration, the State

must absorb both program benefits and administrative costs. Under Federal administration, the

State is responsible for the program benefits and, as of January 1, 1999, pays $7.60 for each benefit paid for the administrative costs.

 • Mandatory Supplementation—The supplementary payments that are made only to beneficiaries

who were converted to the SSI program from former State assistance programs at the inception

of the SSI program. Mandatory Minimum State supplementary payments are required to maintain the December 1972 payment levels that these beneficiaries received under the former State

assistance programs. States are required to provide the supplementation to maintain their Federal matching funds for Medicaid.

 • Optional Supplementation—The payments made by States to help persons meet needs not fully

covered by Federal SSI benefits. The State determines whether it will make a payment, to whom,

and in what amount. These supplements, paid on a regular monthly basis, are intended to cover

such items as food, shelter, clothing, utilities, and other daily necessities. Some States provide

optional supplementary payments to all persons eligible for SSI benefits, while others may limit

them to certain SSI recipients such as the blind or residents of domiciliary-care facilities, or they

may extend payments to persons ineligible for SSI because of SSI income.

Statutory Blindness. See “Blind.”

Student Earned Income (SEI). An earned income exclusion for an individual who is under age 22

and regularly attending school, with certain limitations established by regulations. Currently, up to

$400 earned income in a month, but no more than $1,620 per year, may be excluded.
1999 SSI Annual Report

106

Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). The level of work activity used to establish disability. A finding of disability requires that a person be unable to engage in SGA. Under current regulations, a person who is not statutorily blind and is actually earning more than $500 a month (net of impairmentrelated work expenses) is ordinarily considered to be engaging in substantial gainful activity. SSA

published in the Federal Register on April 15, 1999 (64 FR 18566) a final rule raising this SGA

amount for the nonblind to $700, effective July 1, 1999.

Supplemental Security Record (SSR). The computerized database maintained by SSA and containing identifying information, income, resources and other eligibility factors, for all SSI recipients.

The SSR includes the history of SSI payments made to an individual.

Suspension. The nonpayment of benefits for a period of anywhere from 1 to 12 months for any of a

number of reasons such as income or resources over allowable levels, absence from the United States,

residence in a public institution, etc. Benefits can resume without reapplication, when all requirements for entitlement are again met. Suspense that lasts more than 12 months results in a termination of the SSI record. (Once a record is terminated, reapplication is necessary.)

TANF. See “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).”

Temporary Absence. An individual’s physical move from his/her permanent place of residence that

does not constitute a change in living arrangement. In general, a temporary absence is an absence

from a permanent residence which is not intended to, and does not, exceed a full calendar month. 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The State grant program of assistance for

needy families established by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

of 1996 (Public Law 104-193). TANF replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.

Termination. For an individual, cessation of benefits, which can occur for a number of reasons,

including death, medical improvement, or a period of suspension lasting longer than 12 months. 

Terminations. As used in section IV, the net reduction (after accounting for new entrants) in the

number of SSI recipients in current-payment status during a period. 

Trusts. A legal arrangement involving property and ownership interests. Property held in a trust

may or may not be considered a resource for SSI purposes. The general rules concerning resources

apply to evaluating resource status of property held in a trust. 

Unearned Income. The income that is not earned income. Unearned income may be in cash or

in-kind. Some examples of unearned income are:

 • Annuities, pensions, and other periodic payments;

 • Retirement and disability benefits;

 • Veterans’, workers’ and unemployment compensation;

 • Alimony and support payments;

 • Dividends, interest and certain royalties; and

 • Rents. 

United States. For purposes of the SSI program, the United States consists of the 50 States, District

of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). The services provided to blind and disabled individuals to help

enable them to work. SSA makes provisions for blind or disabled recipients to be referred to a State

VR agency, or to an alternate provider if the State agency does not accept the referral.

SSA reimburses the VR agency for services provided in situations where the services result in the

individual’s working at the substantial gainful activity level for a continuous period of 9 months, and

in certain other limited situations.
107

1999 SSI Annual Report

Windfall Offset. A provision to prevent a person from receiving monthly SSI and OASDI benefits in

excess of the total amount which would have been paid if the OASDI benefits had been paid when

they were due rather than retroactively. 

Work Incentives. Provisions in the SSI program that are intended to act as incentives for disabled

or blind individuals to work. Examples of work incentives under the SSI program are:

 • Earned income disregard,

 • Impairment related work expenses,

 • Blind work expenses,

 • PASS, and

 • Section 1619 benefits.
 SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD

STATEMENT ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME

PROGRAM

Public Law 104-193 requires that members of the Social Security Advisory Board

be given an opportunity, either individually or jointly, to include their views in the Social

Security Administration’s annual report to the President and the Congress on the

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

We appreciate the opportunity to present our views on this important program, and

we have asked the Social Security Administration to include the following statement of

views in this year’s annual report, due May 30, 1999.

VIEWS OF THE BOARD REGARDING THE SSI PROGRAM

In 1994, when the Congress passed legislation establishing the Social Security

Administration as an independent agency, it also created a bipartisan Advisory Board to

advise the Congress, the President, and the Commissioner of Social Security on matters

relating to both the Social Security (OASDI) programs, and the Supplemental Security

Income (SSI) program. The statute directs the Board, among other responsibilities, to

make recommendations with respect to the quality of service that SSA provides to the

public; the policies and regulations of the OASDI and SSI programs; and a long-range

research and program evaluation plan for SSA.

In response to that mandate, the Board has undertaken to study the SSI program as

part of our overall work rather than as an isolated subject. To date, our efforts with respect

to SSI have focused on the quality of service that SSA provides to the public, the disability

aspects of the program, and program research needs. Since the Board began its work in

1996, it has made on-site visits to Boston; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Philadelphia;

Dallas; New York City; Atlanta and Rome, Georgia; Fort Lauderdale; Miami; Kansas City,

Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; and Chicago. These visits have given the Board a pointof-service view of the challenges facing those who administer the SSI and OASDI

programs, and the needs of those whom the programs are intended to serve. The Board has

met with Social Security Administration staff at all levels, State and local officials, and

advocates for SSI applicants and beneficiaries. It has also held public hearings in San

Francisco, Dallas, and Chicago.

The following observations with respect to the SSI program reflect the work we

have completed at this point in time. The Board issued a report in January 1998 on

“Strengthening Social Security Research: The Responsibilities of the Social Security

Administration.” That report described the steps the agency should take to strengthen its

research capacity and also made recommendations with respect to the agency’s research

agenda for both the OASDI and SSI programs. The Board also issued a report in August
2

1998 entitled “How SSA’s Disability Programs Can Be Improved,” which focused

primarily on recommendations for improving how the Disability Insurance and SSI

disability programs are administered. We anticipate that in the coming months the Board

will issue a report with recommendations on improving the quality of service that SSA

provides to the public.

The issue of quality of service to SSI claimants and beneficiaries

In 1972, when the Supplemental Security Income program was enacted, questions

were raised in the Congress and elsewhere about SSA’s capacity to absorb administrative

responsibility for this complex new welfare program without compromising its ability to

administer the much larger Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability programs.

The Congress ultimately chose the Social Security Administration to administer the SSI

program, in part because the agency had a network of offices that were accessible to the

public and had a reputation for providing high quality service.

The Congress believed that the SSI program, which was intended to serve as a

supplement to the Social Security programs, could function best in close connection with

them. It was hoped that joint administration of the programs would result in improved

service for low-income aged, blind, and disabled individuals, and that individuals would

experience less stigma than under the prior State-administered welfare programs.

Although the SSI program has become an integral part of SSA’s operations, in the

early years of the program the agency had difficulties in assuming this new responsibility.

Over the last 25 years the agency has faced continuing challenges to its ability to provide a

high quality of service to those who apply for and receive SSI benefits. The key issue for

SSA now is how well it is presently meeting its responsibilities and how well it is

positioned for the future.

As a means-tested program, SSI is inherently more difficult to administer than the

Social Security programs. Social Security eligibility depends upon generally objective and

stable factors, such as date of birth, date of death, earnings history, and marital status. In

contrast, under SSI the fact and degree of eligibility can change from month to month

based on changes in income, resources, living arrangements, and place of residence. In

addition, SSI disability applicants often lack a consistent record of medical treatment that

can be relied upon without the need for consultative examinations, and they are likely to

lack the type of work history that can be used in Social Security cases as a benchmark.

Many have special needs due to physical or mental limitations, emotional problems,

language difficulties, or educational deficits. Many also lack telephones or are homeless.

Administration is further complicated by the fact that the SSI program has become

predominantly a disability program and thus shares with Social Security all of the

complexities involved in the multi-step disability determination process. Today the 5.2

million SSI disability beneficiaries greatly outnumber the 1.3 million beneficiaries who

receive benefits on the basis of age. This is in contrast to the situation prevailing at the

time the SSI program began, when the aged constituted the majority of beneficiaries.
3

Because SSI rules are complicated, initial claims taking is much more difficult and

time-consuming than it is for Social Security. In addition, because of the need for regular

review of eligibility and payment amounts to take account of changes in circumstances,

SSI beneficiaries are far more likely than Social Security beneficiaries to contact SSA after

they become entitled to benefits. As the agency implements stepped-up procedures to

verify the accuracy of payments to beneficiaries, this SSI postentitlement work is

becoming an increasingly large portion of the workload.

Changes in the law in recent years have also added to the agency’s administrative

responsibilities. For example, as the result of legislation in 1996, SSI law requires that a

retroactive payment on behalf of a disabled child be placed in a dedicated account and used

only for expenses related to the impairment of the child. SSA staff in the field must

determine whether the expenditures are proper and try to recover them if they are not.

As a result of factors such as these, the share of SSI program expenditures devoted

to administration is high compared to the OASDI program. In fiscal year 1999, Federal

SSI administrative costs are expected to be about $2.5 billion, or about 8 percent of the

program’s $30.7 billion in Federally-administered outlays, while administrative costs for

Social Security programs are projected to be about $3.5 billion, or less than 1 percent of

total outlays of $393 billion.

Although SSI will account for only about 7 percent of SSA’s benefit outlays in

fiscal year 1999, it will account for about 36 percent of the agency’s administrative budget

(as compared to about 50 percent for the Social Security program and 14 percent for

Medicare responsibilities).

The proportion of SSA’s administrative budget devoted to SSI has grown since the

early years of the program, increasing from 27 percent of total administrative costs in 1980

to 36 percent this year.

Today, more than half of claims for Social Security Old-Age and Survivors

Insurance (OASI) benefits are handled by telephone. More and more, the work of

employees in Social Security field offices is directed at serving applicants and beneficiaries

of the SSI program. This is a change from the original expectations of the Congress that

OASI and DI work would dominate, and is a development that needs to be fully taken into

account by policy makers.

In our meetings with SSA employees around the country, we have been impressed

by their high level of dedication to serving the SSI population. Although many SSI

claimants have special needs and often require more time and attention than others whom

the agency serves, SSA staff who are providing front-line service appear determined to

provide the highest level of service that they can. A major frustration, as expressed to us,

is that high workloads are restricting their ability to respond to the needs that they

perceive. They are also concerned that SSA’s work measurement system does not capture

the magnitude of the SSI workload in comparison with that of the OASDI program.
4

Concern about staffing for the SSI program is not new. The 1992 Report on the

SSI Modernization Project, written by a group of experts under the chairmanship of the

late Arthur Flemming, former Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and

Welfare, addressed this issue. The report identified increased staffing as one of the top

priorities for improving the SSI program. Nearly all expressed the view that, with

additional staff, SSA should place renewed emphasis on restoring more personal contact

and individualized assistance to those it is intended to serve.

In our upcoming report on service to the public we will present our findings and

recommendations with respect to the quality of service that SSA provides to the public in

greater detail. However, there are several issues that are important to the SSI program that

we would like to highlight at this time.

Assuring SSI program integrity

In response to attention by the Congress and the General Accounting Office, as

well as its own concerns about accurate administrative practices, SSA issued a report in

October 1998 that described what the agency plans to do to improve the management of

the SSI program.

In addition, the agency has taken specific steps to improve the accuracy of SSI

payments. It has increased the number of Continuing Disability Reviews to assure

continuing eligibility for disability and has also increased the number of redeterminations

of non-disability factors. It has proposed legislation to give the agency new tools to

improve payment accuracy, including enhanced ability to catch errors through data

matching; made changes in the approval process for the Plan for Achieving Self Support

(PASS) program; and taken steps to reduce erroneous payments to prisoners and nursing

home residents. SSA’s leadership has supported efforts to expand the capabilities of the

Office of the Inspector General to improve the accuracy and integrity of the agency’s

work.

We believe that these initiatives will help to improve the integrity of the SSI

program, and we commend the agency for undertaking them. But as the Board stated in its

comments in SSA’s 1998 report on the SSI program, accuracy and integrity are dependent

first of all on how well claims are handled in the 1,300 Social Security field offices.

We have talked with many in the agency, particularly in field offices, who have

expressed concern about the integrity of the SSI program. Statistics for the SSI program

reinforce these concerns. According to the agency’s Accountability Report for Fiscal Year

1998, the SSI payment accuracy rate, measuring the accuracy of current, retroactive, and

estimated future payments resulting from an SSI initial claim, declined from 95.3 percent

in 1994 to 90.4 percent in 1997. In addition, in discussing the accuracy of the first

payment made to newly awarded SSI claimants, the Accountability Report states that

“...the potential for a significant downward trend exists.”
5

The SSI case accuracy rate is considerably lower than the payment accuracy rate.

According to the Office of the Inspector General, the SSI case accuracy rate was about 71

percent in 1993, compared with a payment accuracy rate of 94 percent.

Serving individuals with special needs

Most SSI applicants and recipients, because of old age, mental or physical

disability, language barriers, or other causes, need assistance in filing claims and otherwise

complying with complex SSI eligibility rules. As an example, about 28 percent of SSI

disability beneficiaries receive benefits on the basis of mental retardation. Another 31

percent suffer from other types of mental disorders. In New York City, there are offices

where half or even fewer than half of the people in the office service area speak English at

home. Many applicants and beneficiaries have educational deficits. In some areas, there

are substantial numbers of homeless individuals.

According to SSA employees in the field, a growing number of claimants,

including SSI claimants, are turning to individuals and organizations outside the agency for

help in filing their claims. Although most of these “third parties” undoubtedly are

providing claimants with valuable assistance, SSA employees tell us that there are

instances in which third parties are claiming fees for services while providing little or no

real help.

We believe that third parties can be helpful to SSA. However, the basic

responsibility for seeing that individuals are well served rests with the agency. This means

that the agency must have well-trained employees who have the time necessary to guide

individuals through program rules and help them develop the documentation that is needed

to determine their eligibility for benefits. There is widespread concern among Social

Security employees across the country that staffing levels in many offices are insufficient

to deliver the quality of service that the public should have.

The agency should carefully assess how well it is serving this very vulnerable

population, and make the training and staffing improvements that are needed to assure that

individuals who need help in filing their applications receive it, and that their claims are

handled expeditiously, fairly, and accurately. It should also undertake a careful assessment

of the role that third parties are currently performing, including how their contribution can

be improved, and develop strategies for increasing the participation of those entities that it

finds can and will promote the best interests of the public.

Program complexity

Both SSA employees and SSI claimants and beneficiaries agree that SSI rules are

overly complex. They are difficult to comprehend and difficult to administer.

Complexity contributes to errors in payments, which can cause hardship and frustration for

beneficiaries and further add to the agency’s workload.
6

We understand that the agency is planning to undertake a new effort to simplify

SSI program rules, an effort that we strongly support.

We suggest as a first step consulting with employees in the field to identify rules

and procedures that are requiring disproportionately large amounts of staff time to

administer but have little impact on benefit determinations and do not require legislative

change. Changes in rules and procedures in these less complex areas potentially could be

implemented relatively rapidly and on an incremental basis.

Over the longer term, the agency should examine areas of greater complexity that

involve more substantive change. An example is the SSI rules that apply with respect to

living arrangements and in-kind support and maintenance. The law and many of the

regulations governing this subject have been in place since the beginning of the program

and they are regarded by many as inordinately complex. There are 186 pages of

instructions that field office employees are required to follow on this subject alone. SSA

employees have always had difficulty explaining the rules to claimants and have also

found them difficult to apply. Although changes in policy areas like this may be

controversial because of their possible impact on individuals and program costs, we

believe the agency should take the leadership in identifying the issues that are involved and

proposing changes in regulations or law where it believes they are warranted.

 An additional difficulty for employees in the field, beyond the complexity of the

program itself, has been the complexity of the procedural instructions they have to follow.

Currently, they must look in numerous places for teletypes, circulars, and emergency

instructions. Consolidating these instructions would ease their task and possibly lead to

fewer errors.

The disability determination process

In the early years of the program, the numbers of applications for Disability

Insurance and for SSI disability were roughly similar. For more than the last decade,

however, the number of SSI disability applications has exceeded those for DI. In 1998,

there were 1.4 million SSI disability applications, compared to 1.2 million for DI.1 As a

consequence, the SSI program has a very large impact on the agency’s disability

determination process. This impact is magnified by the fact that taking an SSI disability

claim is frequently more complex and time consuming than taking a claim for DI. For

example, SSI applicants are less likely than DI applicants to have had regular medical

treatment and thus a readily available medical history that can be used in determining

whether they are disabled.

As mentioned above, in August 1998, the Board issued a report with

recommendations on “How SSA’s Disability Programs Can Be Improved.” The report

described the long-standing difficulties of administering the DI and SSI disability

programs, including lack of consistency in decision making; unexplained changes in

 

1

 It is important to keep in mind, however, that many applicants for SSI also apply for Disability Insurance.

Nearly a third of SSI disabled beneficiaries also receive DI benefits.
7

application and allowance rates; the complexity, slowness and cost of the application and

appeals process; the lack of confidence in the system; and the fact that few beneficiaries

are successfully rehabilitated so that they can become part of the economic mainstream.

The report included recommendations to address these problems, and urged the

agency to give priority to the following five recommendations:

• development and implementation of an ongoing joint training program for all

adjudicators;

• development of a single presentation of disability policy that is binding on all

decision makers, including the updating of medical listings and vocational

standards;

• development and implementation of a quality assurance system that will unify the

application of policy throughout the disability determination system;

• improvement in the quality of medical evidence that is used in determining

disability claims; and

• development and implementation of a computer system that will provide adequate

support to all elements of the disability claims process.

The Board also noted that “There is a critical need now to move forward as quickly

as possible with the process of change.”

The response to the Board’s report by individuals throughout the disability system

was highly favorable. We heard from State DDS directors and examiners, Administrative

Law Judges, and staff in SSA’s Office of Disability. Based on the reports that we have

heard, we believe there is widespread agreement that implementing the Board’s priority

recommendations would substantially improve the disability determination process,

making it fairer, faster, and more accurate. These objectives are clearly in the interest of

individuals who apply for SSI benefits as well as the public at large.

As we noted in our report, carrying out the Board’s priorities is a difficult task that

will require bold decisions carried out with resolve and dispatch. The agency has begun to

put in place some of the resources that will be needed to update medical listings and to

develop an ongoing disability training program, but progress in these and other priority

areas has been slow. For example, there has been little tangible progress in developing a

quality assurance system that will apply to all parts of the claims process. And we have

been told that development of a computer system that can be used to support all elements

of the process, including the Office of Hearings and Appeals, will take several years.

Again, we urge SSA to make these improvements in the disability process a

priority of the agency and commit the resources that are needed to move forward quickly

on these vital endeavors.
8

Helping individuals find and retain employment

Both the Administration and members of Congress have expressed support for

legislation that would give disability applicants and beneficiaries greater access to

rehabilitation and employment services and provide incentives to ease the transition

between beneficiary status and employment.

Currently, despite the statutory work incentives of present law and despite the

widespread acceptance of the principle that rehabilitation is an important objective, a

relatively small proportion of beneficiaries are actually returning to work. In the SSI

program, about nine percent of the 3.6 million disabled beneficiaries between ages 18 and

64 have work activity. Earnings levels are modest. Nearly three-fourths of those working

earn below $500 a month, and about thirty percent earn $65 or less. In 1998, out of the 3.6

million SSI disabled beneficiaries of working age, referrals to State Vocational

Rehabilitation agencies led to only 6,775 successful rehabilitations resulting in work

sufficient to qualify State agencies for reimbursement of the services provided.

There will be high expectations among both SSI and DI claimants and beneficiaries

that the new legislation will result in a significant improvement in their ability to work.

The Social Security Administration will face a significant challenge in meeting these

expectations. The proposals that are being considered anticipate that much of the

management and the actual provision of rehabilitation and employment services will be

performed by sources outside the agency. But even if this is the case, the agency will have

to perform certain critical functions if these new services are to succeed. The

Administration and the Congress need to ensure that the agency will have the resources it

needs to do the job. Being responsible for these services is a new role for SSA, and how

well the agency performs this role will be critical to the outcome.

At the front-line level, Social Security employees who work in field offices and in

teleservice centers will have to be able to explain the rules and the value of the services

that are offered and provide information to help individuals evaluate service providers. To

do this will require trained staff and additional staff time. Although SSA will likely

contract with outside organizations to assist with these functions, the agency will retain

responsibility for how well these information and referral responsibilities are performed.

The Board is aware that the agency is currently studying how it should carry out

these responsibilities. One option that reportedly is being considered is to train a small

corps of specialists in each field office. This may be the most efficient use of limited staff

capacity and may be effective, particularly in the early months as the new services are

being developed and put in place. But if the long-term goal is to involve a significant

portion of applicants and recipients and to incorporate these services as an integral part of

the Disability Insurance and SSI programs, it is difficult to see how the agency can

ultimately avoid involving a large portion of its field staff in the effort. In addition, as

more individuals who are receiving SSI benefits go to work, staff in field offices inevitably
9

will have to perform more postentitlement work to adjust benefit amounts to take account

of variations in earnings.

As we have noted, field office staff are already hard-pressed to carry out their

present responsibilities. Expanding these responsibilities would seem inevitably to require

additional staff, unless there is a decline or leveling off of disability applications or a

significant increase in productivity. However, over the coming decades the Office of the

Chief Actuary forecasts an increasing, not declining, number of OASDI and SSI

applications. Improvements in automation and new methods of service delivery should

provide some help in the long term. However, individuals who work in the field are

doubtful that these innovations will have a significant impact on the face-to-face work that

is required to handle the Disability Insurance and SSI cases that dominate their workloads

both now and in the foreseeable future.

SSA will also have the responsibility of developing a regulatory structure for the

new program, establishing performance standards, and evaluating the impact and

effectiveness of the services that are provided. In order to carry out these responsibilities,

the agency will have to develop a corps of well-trained and knowledgeable employees.

The importance of research and program evaluation

One of the goals of SSA’s Strategic Plan is to conduct effective policy

development, research, and program evaluation, and, as the Board has recommended, the

agency has begun to strengthen its capacity to perform these important functions. Several

new efforts by the agency should prove useful to policy makers in evaluating the SSI

program and assessing proposals for change.

In April 1997, the Board advised the agency that it should undertake a study of the

impact of the 1996 legislation that revised the rules for determining SSI eligibility for

disabled children. We recommended that the agency conduct case studies of a sample of

the children affected so that policy makers would have objective information to evaluate

the changes and to determine whether future policy changes should be made, and if so,

what those changes should be. We expect to follow SSA’s study closely, and we look

forward to the analysis that will be forthcoming.

We applaud the agency’s plans to evaluate the work it will be doing to help

individuals find and retain employment. If carefully conceived and conducted, this

evaluation can be a vital tool in promoting program effectiveness.

SSA has recently awarded grants to fund a new Retirement Research Consortium

that will plan and conduct a research program to develop information that can be used in

assessing retirement policy. The agency has also announced plans to establish a Disability

Research Institute to help address the need for research in the disability area. As we noted

in our January 1998 report on “Strengthening Social Security Research: The

Responsibilities of the Social Security Administration,” developing research centers such

as these has the advantage of enabling the agency to call upon outside experts to conduct
10

research that the agency itself does not have the resources to conduct. But as we

cautioned, the agency will have to ensure that the research that is carried out on its behalf

is objective, balanced, and directed to the needs of the agency rather than those of the

individual researcher or the center that is performing the research. We urge SSA to make

certain that the important research needs of the SSI program, along with those of the

OASDI program, are addressed in these major research undertakings.

In addition, we urge the agency to monitor closely changes in the disability rolls

(both SSI and DI) so as to be able to explain to policy makers why they are occurring and

whether they provide the basis for new and alternative policies to address the needs of

individuals with differing types of disabilities.

The SSI annual report

This third “Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program” by the

Social Security Administration provides a comprehensive review of program data.

However, we believe it would be helpful if future reports would also provide the type of

analysis of SSI program and administrative issues that SSA is uniquely capable of

undertaking.

In October 1998, SSA issued a report on the management of the SSI program that

described administrative initiatives that the agency has established to improve its

stewardship of the SSI program. More recently, in March of this year, a report was issued

on the management of the disability programs. Although these reports provide useful

information on activities that the agency is undertaking that affect the SSI program and its

beneficiaries, we believe that policy makers would find it helpful if the agency would use

the SSI annual report as a forum in which it formulates and communicates its overall views

of the program.

The SSI annual report should be more than a statistical report. In the future, the

Social Security Administration should consider using it as a way of bringing to the

attention of policy makers both the policy issues that it believes need to be resolved, and

the difficulties the agency is encountering in administering the program. This is useful

information that can help the Congress, as well as others within the Administration, to

become better informed about the challenges SSA faces with respect to the SSI program,

and the need to address them.

Stanford G. Ross

Chair

 Jo Anne Barnhart Lori L. Hansen

 Martha Keys Sylvester J. Schieber