Social Security Administration

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that helps people with important benefits. It gives money to people when they retire, if they become unable to work, or when a family member passes away. The SSA started in 1935 and was first called the "Social Security Board" before changing its name in 1946.

People can get help from the SSA in many ways, including visiting one of its 1,200 offices, using its website, or calling a special number. These offices were closed for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic but opened again in April 2022.

The SSA is based in Woodlawn, Maryland, near Baltimore, and has many offices and centers around the country. About 60,000 people work for the SSA. In 2022, the SSA gave out over $1 trillion to help 66 million people, making it the largest government program in the United States. Most people pay small taxes on their paychecks to help fund these benefits.

History

The Social Security program began with the Social Security Act of 1935, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This act was part of his New Deal to help people during tough economic times. The first office opened in Austin, Texas in 1936, and the first person to receive monthly retirement benefits was Ida May Fuller from Brattleboro, Vermont.

Over the years, the program changed and grew. It became part of a larger government group in 1939 and was later renamed the Social Security Administration in 1946. In 1994, it became an independent agency again. Adjustments were made to keep benefits fair as prices changed, and important court decisions helped shape how the program works.

Historical leadership

The Social Security Administration has had leaders who helped manage its work over the years.

Headquarters

The Social Security Administration was one of the first federal agencies to have its main office outside of Washington, D.C.. It started in Baltimore because they needed a big building to hold many important papers. They used a building called the Candler Building near the city's harbor. Later, they planned to build a permanent office in Washington, but World War II started, and the new building was used for the war instead. After the war, moving the office again would have caused too many problems, so the agency stayed in Baltimore until 1960. That's when they moved to a new headquarters in a place called Woodlawn.

The main road to the headquarters is called Security Boulevard (Maryland Route 122). This road connects Baltimore to areas further west. There's also a nearby shopping area called Security Square Mall, and the area is sometimes called "Security." Because the office needed more space, many workers now have offices in different places around Woodlawn. Some parts of the agency have offices in other cities, like Falls Church, Virginia.

Field offices

The Social Security Administration has over 1,200 local offices where people can go to apply for benefits, get a new Social Security card, or get other help. In 2019, 43 million people visited these offices. They were closed for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened in April 2022.

People can find the phone numbers and addresses of these offices using a locator service. There is also a national toll-free number (1-800-772-1213) and a website where people can apply for retirement and disability benefits online. For survivor benefits, people need to call or visit an office in person. In most states, people can also apply online for a replacement Social Security card. People can apply for Supplemental Security Income at these offices, and staff can also help with applications for food assistance through the SNAP program.

Program Service Centers

Many of the tasks related to starting and changing Social Security benefits happen in six big centers across the United States.

These centers have two main jobs. One group helps people start getting benefits for the first time. Another group handles more complex changes for people already receiving benefits, like life events or payment mistakes.

The six centers are located in:

• Jamaica, Queens, New York
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Chicago, Illinois
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Richmond, California

These centers have been in these cities since at least the 1950s. They began as Area Offices in 1942, with the first one in Philadelphia.

Coverage

Initially, only about half of the jobs in the United States were covered by Social Security. Today, almost everyone who works for pay in the United States is covered.

Some workers, like certain government employees and railroad workers, have their own retirement systems instead of Social Security. However, many of these workers still have access to Medicare.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages programs that provide money to people who are retired, disabled, or who lost a family member. In 2010, over 54 million people received benefits from these programs. These benefits are paid for by taxes from employers, employees, and self-employed people. The money is kept in a special fund.

SSA also runs the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which helps people who are aged, blind, or disabled and have very little money or resources. Before 1972, these benefits were handled by each state, but now SSA manages them. In 2019, 8 million people received SSI benefits.

SSA helps determine who qualifies for Medicare and also runs a program called Extra Help, which assists people with paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Operations

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a book called the Program Operations Manual System (POMS) to help workers handle situations fairly and efficiently. This book explains the rules and steps for many common tasks.

The SSA has its own system for handling decisions when people disagree with a decision about their benefits. Special judges and lawyers review these cases and help solve problems.

Each year, before Mother's Day, the SSA shares a list of the most common baby names in the United States. This list is based on the names people use when applying for Social Security cards for their babies. The SSA website lets people look up these popular names from past years. For privacy, the SSA does not share names that are used by fewer than five babies in a year.