SSA Benefit Statements: Statements Are Well Received by the Public but Difficult to Comprehend
Published: 1996-09-12T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: GAO discussed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES).
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: GAO noted that: (1) the public has reacted favorably to unsolicited PEBES, and SSA has improved the statement in response to public feedback; (2) the public generally feels that the statement is a valuable tool for retirement planning, but the statement does not clearly convey its purpose and related information on SSA programs and benefits; (3) PEBES weaknesses have resulted from its piecemeal development and the lack of testing for comprehension; (4) there is no consensus on the best model for PEBES; (5) SSA plans to redesign PEBES only if the redesign results in lower printing costs; (6) this approach fails to recognize the hidden costs arising from the need to answer public inquiries about statement information and the undermining of public confidence in SSA programs by the statement's poor design; (7) SSA needs to improve PEBES layout and design and simplify certain explanations, obtain more detailed feedback from its frontline workers, conduct comprehension tests, and consider alternative statement formats; and (8) SSA senior management attention is needed to ensure the success of the statement initiative by redesigning PEBES to present benefits information more effectively.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: I am pleased to be here today to discuss the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES). This six-page statement supplies information about a worker’s yearly earnings on record at SSA; eligibility for Social Security retirement, survivor, and disability benefits; and estimates of these benefits. The PEBES also explains Social Security programs and benefits.
SSA has provided a PEBES to individuals upon request since 1988. As required by the Congress, in 1995 SSA began sending the statements automatically to workers who have reached age 60. Starting in fiscal year 2000, statements will reach an estimated 123 million people each year—almost every U.S. worker age 25 and older. SSA projects that this effort will cost more than $80 million in fiscal year 2000 alone.
Personal experience with a federal agency and its programs can greatly influence public opinion about that agency. Receiving a PEBES is likely to be most workers’ only experience with SSA until they retire or possibly become disabled. Both the sponsor of the legislation requiring these statements and SSA officials hope that the statements will help build confidence in Social Security programs by informing the public about Social Security benefits and will serve as a useful financial planning tool.
In recent testimony before this Subcommittee, we noted that legislative requirements for the PEBES present a significant workload challenge for SSA. Today I would like to discuss our ongoing work for the Subcommittee on how effectively the PEBES conveys information to the public. Specifically, I will focus on what SSA has done to improve the statement, the extent to which the PEBES communicates its goals and information clearly, SSA’s plans to revise the statement, and actions we believe will improve it. To develop this information, we reviewed SSA’s documentation on the PEBES and met with SSA officials and field office staff. We also reviewed selected public- and private-sector pension benefit statements and discussed them with recognized experts in the field. Finally, we consulted an expert in document design and communication to review and provide comments on the PEBES.
In summary, we found that SSA has taken steps to improve the PEBES, and feedback indicates that, overall, the public feels that the statement can be a valuable tool for retirement planning. The statement fails to communicate clearly, however, the complex information readers need to understand SSA’s programs and benefits. The statement, for example, does not explicitly state its purpose. In addition, the design and organization of the statement make it difficult for the reader to locate and understand important information. For example, the information needed to fully understand the benefit estimates is spread over five pages. Public feedback on the statement also indicates that readers are confused by several important explanations, such as who in their family is also eligible for benefits and how much these family members might receive.
SSA is considering redesigning the PEBES but only if the redesign results in reduced printing costs. This approach overlooks hidden costs, such as (1) the workload generated by public inquiries when people do not understand the statement and (2) the possibility that a poorly designed statement can undermine, rather than boost, public confidence. Issuing these statements is a significant initiative for SSA, and the agency should take steps now to redesign the statement to more effectively present PEBES information. Active leadership from SSA’s senior managers is needed to ensure the success of this important initiative.
subsections: section_title: Overview of the PEBES
paragraphs: Since the Social Security Act became law in 1935, workers have had the right to review their earnings records on file at SSA to ensure that they are correct. In 1988, SSA introduced the PEBES to better enable workers who requested such information to review their earnings records and obtain benefit estimates. According to SSA, less than 2 percent of workers who pay Social Security taxes request these statements each year. plans to have mailed statements automatically to more than 70 million workers.
By providing these statements, SSA’s goals are to (1) better inform the public of benefits available under SSA’s programs, (2) assist workers in planning for their financial future, and (3) better ensure that Social Security earnings records are complete and accurate. Correcting earnings records benefits both SSA and the public because early identification and correction of errors in earnings records can reduce the time and cost required to correct them years later when an individual files for retirement benefits.
Issuing the PEBES is a significant initiative for SSA. The projected cost of more than $80 million in fiscal year 2000 includes $56 million for production costs, such as printing and mailing the statement, and $24 million for personnel costs. SSA estimates that 608 staff-years will be required to handle the PEBES workload in fiscal year 2000: SSA staff are needed to prepare the statements, investigate discrepancies in workers’ earnings records, and respond to public inquiries.
section_title: SSA Has Taken Steps to Enhance the PEBES; Public Reaction Has Been Positive
paragraphs: Since the PEBES was first developed, SSA has conducted several small-scale and national surveys to assess the general public’s reaction to receiving an unsolicited PEBES. In addition, SSA has conducted a series of focus groups to elicit the public’s and SSA employees’ opinion of the statement and what parts of it they did and did not understand. retirement at age 70. When SSA learned that many people were interested in the effect of early retirement on their benefits, SSA added an estimate for retirement at age 62.
Overall public reaction to receiving an unsolicited PEBES has been consistently favorable. In a nationally representative survey conducted during a 1994 pilot test, the majority of respondents indicated they were glad to receive their statements. In addition, 95 percent of the respondents said the information provided was helpful to their families. Overall, older individuals reacted more favorably to receiving a PEBES than did younger individuals. In addition, SSA representatives who answer the toll-free telephone calls from the public have stated that most callers are pleased that they received a PEBES and say that the information is useful for financial planning.
section_title: Clearly Communicating SSA Program and Benefit Information Could Further Enhance the PEBES’ Value
paragraphs: Although SSA has taken steps to improve the PEBES, we found that the current statement still provides too much information, which may overwhelm the reader, and presents the information in a way that undermines its usefulness. These weaknesses are attributable, in part, to the process SSA used to develop the PEBES. Additional information and expanded explanations have made the statement longer, but some explanations still confuse readers. Moreover, SSA has not tested for reader comprehension and has not collected detailed information from its front-line workers on the public’s response to the PEBES. explanations to understand complex information, the explanations should appear with the information.
Easy-to-understand explanations: Readers need explanations of complex programs and benefits in the simplest and most straightforward language possible.
subsections: section_title: Commissioner’s Message Does Not Effectively Convey Purpose
paragraphs: In the 1996 PEBES, the message from the Commissioner of Social Security does not clearly explain why SSA is providing the statement. Although the message does include information on the statement’s contents and the need for individuals to review the earnings recorded by SSA, its presentation is uninviting, according to the design expert we consulted. More specifically, the type is too dense; the lines are too long; white space is lacking; and the key points are not highlighted. If the PEBES’ recipients do not read the Commissioner’s message, they may not understand why reviewing the statement is important.
The message also attempts to reassure people that the Social Security program will be there when they need it with the following reference (from the 1996 PEBES) to the system’s solvency: The Social Security Board of Trustees projects that the system will continue to have adequate resources to pay benefits in full for more than 30 years. This means that there is time for the Congress to make changes needed to safeguard the program’s financial future. I am confident these actions will result in the continuation of the American public’s widespread support for Social Security.
Some participants in SSA focus groups, however, thought the message suggested that the resources would not necessarily be there after 30 years. For example, one participant in a 1994 focus group reviewing a similar Commissioner’s message said, “. . .  first thing I think about when I read the message is,  is not going to be there for me.”
section_title: Design and Organization Are Not User Friendly
paragraphs: current statement, some focus group participants and benefit experts suggested that SSA add an index or a table of contents to help readers navigate the statement.
SSA has not used the best layout and design to help the reader identify the most important points and move easily from one section to the next. The organization of the statement is not clear at a glance. Readers cannot immediately grasp what the sections of the statement are, and in which order they should read them, according to the design expert with whom we consulted. The statement lacks effective use of features such as bulleting and highlighting that would make it more user friendly.
In addition, the PEBES is disorganized: information does not appear where needed. The statement has a patchwork of explanations scattered throughout, causing readers to flip repeatedly from one page to another to find needed information. For example, page two begins by referring the reader to page four, and page three contains six references to information on other pages. Furthermore, to understand how the benefit estimates were developed and any limitations to these estimates, a PEBES recipient must read explanations spread over five pages.
The statement’s spreading of benefit estimate explanations over several pages may result in individuals missing important information. This is especially true for people whose benefits are affected by special circumstances, which SSA does not take into consideration in developing PEBES benefit estimates. For example, the PEBES estimate is overstated for federal workers who are eligible for both the Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security benefits. For these workers, the law requires a reduction in their Social Security retirement or disability benefits according to a specific formula. In 1996, this reduction may be as much as $219 per month; however, PEBES’ benefit estimates do not reflect this reduction. The benefit estimate appears on page three; the explanation of the possible reduction does not appear until the bottom of page five. Without fully reviewing this additional information, a reader may not realize that the PEBES benefit estimate could be overstated.
section_title: Explanations Are Not Always Easy to Understand
paragraphs: Because PEBES addresses complex programs and issues, explaining these points in simple, straightforward language is challenging. Although SSA made changes to improve the explanation of work credits, for example, many people still do not understand what these credits are, the relevance of the credits to their benefits, and how they are accumulated.
The public also frequently asks questions about the PEBES’ explanation of family benefits. Family benefits are difficult to calculate and explain because the amount depends on several different factors, such as the age of the spouse and the spouse’s eligibility for benefits on his or her own work record. Informing the public about family benefits, however, is especially important: a 1995 SSA survey revealed that as much as 40 percent of the public is not aware of these benefits.
section_title: Weaknesses of the PEBES Are Linked to SSA’s Approach
paragraphs: A team of representatives from a cross section of SSA offices governed SSA’s decisions on the PEBES’ development, testing, and implementation. The team revised and expanded the statement in response to feedback on individual problems. The design expert we consulted observed that the current statement “appears to have been the result of too many authors, without a designated person to review the entire piece from the eyes of the readers. It seems to have developed over time, piecemeal . . . .” information collected does not provide sufficient detail for SSA to understand the problems people are having with the PEBES.
section_title: No Consensus on the Best Model for the Statement
paragraphs: Although the public and benefit experts agree that the current statement contains too much information, neither a standard benefit statement model exists in the public or private sector nor does a clear consensus on how best to present benefit information. The Canadian government chose to use a two-part document when it began sending out unsolicited benefit statements in 1985. The Canada Pension Plan’s one-page statement provides specific individual information, including the earnings record and benefit estimates. A separate brochure details the program explanations. The first time the Plan mails the statement, it sends both the one-page individual information and the detailed brochure; subsequent mailings contain only the single page with the individual information.
Although some focus group participants and benefit experts prefer a two-part format, others believe that all information should remain in a single document, fearing that statement recipients will lose or might not read the separate explanations. SSA has twice tested the public’s reaction to receiving two separate documents. On the basis of a 1987 focus group test, SSA concluded that it needed to either redesign the explanatory brochure or incorporate the information into one document. SSA chose the latter approach. In a 1994 test, people indicated that they preferred receiving one document; however, the single document SSA used in the test had less information and a more readable format than the current PEBES.
section_title: Redesign Plans Do Not Fully Consider Costs
paragraphs: SSA, through the Government Printing Office, has awarded a 2-year contract for printing the fiscal years 1997 and 1998 statements. These statements will have the same format as the current PEBES with only a few wording changes. SSA is planning a more extensive redesign of the PEBES for the fiscal year 1999 mailings but only if it will save money on printing costs.
By focusing on reduced printing costs as the main reason for redesigning the PEBES, SSA is overlooking the hidden costs of the statement’s existing weaknesses. For example, if people do not understand why they got the statement or have questions about information provided in the statement, they may call or visit SSA, creating more work for SSA staff. Furthermore, if the PEBES frustrates or confuses people, it could undermine public confidence in SSA and its programs.
Our work suggests, and experts agree, that the PEBES’ value could be enhanced by several changes. Yet SSA’s redesign team is focusing on reducing printing costs without considering all of the factors that would ensure that PEBES is a cost-effective document.
section_title: Observations on Needed PEBES Improvements
paragraphs: The PEBES initiative is an important step in better informing the public about SSA’s programs and benefits. To improve the statement, SSA can quickly make some basic changes. For example, SSA officials told us that, on the basis of our findings, they have revised the Commissioner’s message for the 1997 PEBES to make it shorter and less complex. More extensive revisions are needed, however, to ensure that the statement communicates effectively. SSA will need to start now to complete these changes before its 1999 redesign target date. The changes include improving the layout and design and simplifying certain explanations. These revisions will require time to collect data and to develop and test alternatives. SSA can help ensure that the changes target the most significant weaknesses by systematically obtaining more detailed feedback from front-line workers. SSA could also ensure that the changes clarify the statement by conducting formal comprehension tests with a sample of future PEBES recipients.
In addition, we believe SSA should evaluate alternative formats for communicating the information presented in PEBES. For example, SSA could present the Commissioner’s message in a separate cover letter accompanying the statement, or SSA could consider a two-part option, similar to the approach of the Canada Pension Plan. To select the most cost-effective option, SSA needs to collect and assess additional cost information on options available and test different PEBES formats.
Our work suggests that improving PEBES will demand attention from SSA’s senior leadership. For example, how best to balance the public’s need for information with the problems resulting from providing too much information are too difficult and complex to resolve without senior-level SSA involvement.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my formal remarks. I would be happy to answer any questions from you and other members of the Subcommittee. Thank you.
section_title: Contributors
paragraphs: For more information on this testimony, please call Diana S. Eisenstat, Associate Director, Income Security Issues, at (202) 512-5562 or Cynthia M. Fagnoni, Assistant Director, at (202) 512-7202. Other major contributors include Evaluators Kay Brown, Nora Perry, and Elizabeth Jones.
section_title: Your Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement
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