Steve Goss and Karen Glenn 

Office of the Chief Actuary

Social Security Administration

National Academy of Social Insurance

March 5, 2019

Some Social Security Basics: 

Disability, Benefit Levels, Financial Status, 

Recent Proposals
Social Security Disability Benefits

 155 million workers under age 66 are insured against becoming 

unable to work

 8.7 million workers now receive DI benefits

 1.7 million “dependents” – mostly children

 Many more protected from loss of insured status

 And from lower retirement benefits

 In addition: 

 1 million disabled adult child beneficiaries

 0.3 million disabled widow(er) beneficiaries 

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Social Security Disability Benefits

 Requires inability to “engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) 

due to medically determinable impairment

 May be determined disabled if have “severe” impairments, meeting 

or equaling specific medical “listings” 

 Or if, in addition to a severe impairment, there are substantial 

functional limitations considering age, education, and past work 

 Beneficiaries are monitored for medical improvement by “diaries” 

with periodic Continuing Medical Reviews 

 Beneficiaries are encouraged to return to work which can cease 

benefits

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Recent Favorable Disability Experience

 Applications and incidence are at historic low levels

 Numbers of beneficiaries have been declining since 2013

 Prevalence rates have peaked and are dropping

 What about the future? 

 Are declines temporary, or the new state? 

 Possibilities:

 Economy and jobs—temporary 

 Drop in hearings allowance rates—temporary? 

 Increased health care (ACA)

 Field office consolidations

 Attorney representation

 Something more fundamental?

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Applications Are Still Dropping in 2018!

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Disability Incidence Rate Falls to Historic Lows

DI disabled worker incidence rate rose sharply in the recession, and has declined since the peak in 

2010 to extraordinarily low levels for 2016 through 2018

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

DI Age-Sex-Adjusted Incidence Rates:

Historical and Intermediate Assumptions for 2012 through 2018 Trustees Reports

2012TR

2017TR

2016TR

2015TR

2014TR

2013TR

Average 1990-2017 5.23

Ultimate Assumption 5.40

2018TR

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Fewer Disabled Worker Beneficiaries 

Fewer now and in near term based on recent applications and incidence rates

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

11,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

Disabled Worker Beneficiaries

In Current Payment Status at End of Year (in thousands)

2008 TR (no recession)

2018 TR

2017 TR

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DIBs awarded through June 2018 by year of entitlement and 

primary diagnosis code, males age 30-39 at entitlement

8

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Entitlements (Percent of annual total)

Year of entitlement

Musculoskeletal Mental disorders Circulatory Neoplasms

Nervous System Injuries Respiratory Nutritional/metabolic

Infectious/parasitic Other

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DIBs awarded through June 2018 by year of entitlement and 

primary diagnosis code, males age 50-59 at entitlement

9

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Entitlements (Percent of annual total)

Year of entitlement

Musculoskeletal Mental disorders Circulatory Neoplasms

Nervous System Injuries Respiratory Nutritional/metabolic

Infectious/parasitic Other

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Social Security Monthly Benefit Levels

 Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is a progressive formula replacing a 

portion of worker’s career-average past earnings level (highest 35 years of 

earnings–indexed to average wage–for retirees)

 Benefits replace 40% to 45% of career earnings, on average

 About 80% for very-low earner, about 28% for steady maximum earner

 Auxiliary beneficiaries (family members) may receive half of the PIA of 

the retired or disabled worker

 Surviving spouses may receive 100 percent; other survivors 75 percent

 Total benefits payable on a worker’s account limited to “family max”

 Retired-worker and spouse benefits are modified by age at start of receipt

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Replacement Rates Based on the 2018 TR

Source: Annual Recurring Actuarial Note #9 at www.ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/ran9/index.html

11

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080

Scheduled Monthly Benefit Levels as Percent of Career-Average 

Earnings by Year of Retirement at age 65

Low Earner ($23,353 for 2018; 25th percentile)

Medium Earner ($51,894 for 2018; 56th percentile)

High Earner ($83,031 for 2018; 82nd percentile)

Max Earner ($128,400 for 2018; 100th percentile)

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How About at Age 62, Where Many Start Benefits?

Source: Annual Recurring Actuarial Note #9 at www.ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/ran9/index.html

12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080

Scheduled Monthly Benefit Levels as Percent of Career-Average 

Earnings by Year of Retirement at age 62

Low Earner ($23,353 in 2018; 25th percentile)

Medium Earner ($51,894 in 2018; 56th percentile)

High Earner ($83,031 in 2018; 82nd percentile)

Max Earner ($128,400 in 2018; 100th percentile)

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Payable Benefits Under the Law, After Trust 

Fund Reserves Are Depleted, Are Even Lower

Source: Annual Recurring Actuarial Note #9 at www.ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/ran9/index.html

13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080

PAYABLE Monthly Benefit Levels as Percent of Career-Average 

Earnings by Year of Retirement at age 62

Low Earner ($23,353 in 2018; 25th percentile)

Medium Earner ($51,894 in 2018; 56th percentile)

High Earner ($83,031 in 2018; 82nd percentile)

Max Earner ($128,400 in 2018; 100th percentile)

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Social Security Monthly Benefit Levels

 Monthly benefit level after initial eligibility increases with COLA

 Based on CPI-W (urban wage earners)

 Thus, while individuals’ benefits keep up with price levels, they fall behind average 

earnings levels

 Benefit levels from one generation to the next rise with average earnings

 But the “special minimum” benefit has been only CPI-indexed

 So now applies to virtually no beneficiaries

 Monthly benefit levels may be offset by WEP, GPO, and workers comp

 Disability benefits may be suspended or ceased due to earnings

 Other benefits (under the Normal Retirement Age) may be deferred by earnings test

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SOLVENCY: OASDI Trust Fund Reserve Depletion in 2034 

Reserve depletion date varied from 2029 to 2042 in reports over the past 26 years (1992-2018) 

15

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%

350%

400%

450%

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040

Social Security Trust Fund Ratios

Assets as Percent of Annual Cost

Trustees Report Intermediate Projections

OASDI 2018TR

OASI 2018TR

DI 2018TR

OASDI 2017TR

OASI 2017TR

DI 2017TR

Historical

Tax Rate

Reallocation

DI

OASDI

OASI

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Changing Age Distribution Over Last 20 and Next 20 Years Largely 

Explain the Financial Status of the OASI and DI Trust Funds

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100

Percent of Population at Ages 25+

Age Distribution of the Population Age 25+, 1940 to 2100 (2018 TR)

25-44

45-64

65-84

85+

Boomers 

become 

25-44

Boomers 

become 

45-64

Boomers 

become 

65-84

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17

OASDI Annual Cost and Non-Interest Income as Percent of Taxable Payroll 

Persistent Negative Annual Cash-Flow Balance Starting in 2010 

79% of scheduled benefits still payable at trust fund reserve depletion

Annual deficit in 2092: 4.32 percent of payroll

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

2005 2015 2025 2035 2045 2055 2065 2075 2085 2095

Calendar year

Cost: Scheduled and 

payable benefits

Non-interest Income

Payable benefits as percent

of scheduled benefits:

2017-33: 100%

2034: 79%

2092: 74%

Cost: Scheduled but not 

fully payable benefits

Expenditures: Payable benefits = income 

after trust fund depletion in 2034

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SUSTAINABILITY: Cost as Percent of GDP 

Rises from a 4.2-percent average in 1990-2008, to about 6.1% by 2038, then 

declines to 5.9% by 2052, and generally increases to 6.1% by 2092

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090

Calendar year

Non-interest Income

Historical Estimated

Cost

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The Bottom Line

 Long-term projections provide information to assess solvency and 

changes needed to eliminate shortfalls

 If trust fund reserves were to deplete:

 Full benefits cannot be paid on time—no borrowing authority

 So Congress must act, as it always has

 Straightforward solutions:

 Add revenue and/or lower cost for OASDI

 Comprehensive changes implemented by 2034

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How to Fix Social Security Long-Term 

Make choices addressing OASDI deficits 2034-2092:

• Raise scheduled revenue after 2033 by about one-third

• Reduce scheduled benefits after 2033 by about one-fourth

• Or some combination of the two

• Invest trust funds for higher return? 

 Limited help—it is a PAYGO world

 So invest in coming generations of workers

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Ways to Lower Cost 

 Lower benefits for retirees—not disabled?

 Increase normal retirement age (lowers OASDI cost, but increases DI cost)

 Can exempt long-career low earners

 Lower benefits mainly for high earners?

 Reduce PIA above some level

 Often combined with increasing PIA below some level, subject to work year 

requirements

 Lower benefits mainly for the oldest old?

 Reduce the COLA: chained CPI?

 But, some say increase it with the CPI-E (based on purchases of consumers 

over age 62)

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Ways to Increase Revenue 

 Raise the 12.4 percent OASDI payroll tax rate?

 Raise tax on highest earners?

 Increase taxable maximum amount

 Some tax on all earnings above the maximum

 Tax employer group health insurance premiums?

 Affects only middle class if taxable maximum remains

 Tax investment income?

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Examples of Comprehensive Proposals

 Larson, Blumenthal, Van Hollen—introduced in January 2019

 Increase revenue to cover shortfall, and increase some benefits

 Johnson—introduced in December 2016

 Largely reduce scheduled benefits, but eliminate taxation of benefits and 

add minimum benefits

 Simpson-Bowles Commission—plan released in December 2010, 

but not introduced

 A mix of additional revenue and reduced benefits

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Representative John Larson (D-CT) et al, January 2019

 Make PIA formula slightly more generous, more “progressive” (shortfall ↑8%)

 Increase the COLA (↑14%)

 Based on CPI-E for all beneficiaries; 0.2pp higher on average

 Index designed to better reflect the purchases of the elderly

 Improve the minimum benefit (↑4%)

 Lower taxation of OASDI benefits slightly (↑6%)

 Tax earnings above $400K (not indexed) with small benefit credit (↓67%)

 Increase payroll tax rate gradually from 12.4 percent to 14.8 percent (↓64%)

 Would produce “sustainable solvency” (shortfall ↓109%)

See: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/solvency/LarsonBlumenthalVanHollen_20190130.pdf

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Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX), December 2016

 Make PIA formula less generous but more “progressive” (shortfall ↓32%)

 Change to mini-PIA approach (↓13%)

 Raise the Normal Retirement Age gradually (↓32%)

 Lower the COLA (↓47%)

 Based on chain-weighted CPI for most beneficiaries; 0.3pp lower on average

 No COLA if prior year’s MAGI is above certain thresholds

 Add a new minimum benefit (↑9%)

 Eliminate taxation of OASDI benefits in 2054 and later (↑15%)

 Would produce “sustainable solvency” (shortfall ↓100%)

See: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/solvency/SJohnson_20161208.pdf

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Simpson-Bowles Commission, December 2010

 Index NRA to keep ratio of retirement years to work years constant, with 

exemption for long-career low earners (shortfall ↓18%)

 Make PIA formula less generous but more “progressive” (shortfall ↓45%)

 Lower the COLA (↓26%)

 Based on chain-weighted CPI; 0.3pp lower on average

 Improve the minimum benefit (↑8%)

 Increase benefits 5 percent for older retirees (↑8%)

 Increase taxable maximum to cover 90 percent of earnings (↓ 35%)

 Cover newly hired state and local gov’t employees (↓ 8%)

 Would produce “sustainable solvency” (shortfall ↓112%)

See: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/solvency/FiscalCommission_20101201.pdf

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