Social Security Administration
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In 1935, when Social Security was started, a 3-person board headed it up. It wasn’t until 1946 when the board was abolished that the Social Security Administration was started and was headed by a single Commissioner. The Social Security Administration was established as an independent agency on August 14, 1994.
Programs
Old-age assistance was one of the first provisions of the social security act and it remains strong today. There have been many changes to it. The appeal of the Retirement Earnings Test (RET) and Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) have been added to enhance retirement benefits. Aid to Families With Dependent Children, now called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was also part of the original Social Security Act along with unemployment insurance and state grants to provide forms of medical care. Disability benefits were added later along with Medicare. It was decided that the social insurance provisions were incomplete if they didn’t also address the cost of medical care.
Disability
This program has gone through several modifications with the intent to standardize and simplify the requirement and payment process. Any person who had a medical condition that prevented them from working was eligible for disability benefits until March 29, 1996. After this date SSI disability was no longer available to a person whose disability was a result of drug addiction or alcoholism. If drug addiction or alcoholism is not the cause of the disability, but plays a major role, disability benefits will be denied. The only way a disabled person with a drug or alcohol component can receive benefits is if they qualify under some other medical condition. It is now a goal to rehabilitate, whenever possible, instead of allowing a dependence on the program. With rehabilitation as a goal, incentives are offered for return to gainful employment.
Retirement
Originally, this was to be a temporary program until self-contribution programs filled this need. Since that has not been forthcoming, the program has been modified and updated to meet the needs of elderly. There is no longer a “substantially retired” qualification. Benefit incentives for later retirement have been added to help sustain the program by shortening the time period for withdrawal of benefits. With the inception of COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) the retirement benefits are raised as the cost of living increases.
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
In 1996, the categorical entitlement to AFDC was ended. There are now time limits and work requirements. The increase in benefits for each additional child has also been done away with. This benefit was removed due to families having as many children as possible to increase their benefits. Also in 1996, benefits for non-citizens were eliminated except under certain conditions. Families can still receive benefits under these programs. Benefits are much harder to get related to the new qualifications. The tightening of benefits was to encourage self-sufficiency and decrease dependency as a way of life.
Medicare
Providing medical benefits to retired, unemployed or disabled persons was addressed in 1965. Medicare benefits are now available to those who qualify for either retirement, or disability. Medicare pays a portion of all covered medical expenses and medications. There are different parts of Medicare and the cost of each varies. There are hospital benefits, doctor or clinic benefits and medication benefits to name the main ones. Medicare benefits and their accompanying plans can be very confusing, especially to the mentally impaired and the elderly. Privatization of different aspects of the Medicare system has increased this confusion and created an area where the elderly and the disabled can be taken advantage of.
Work incentives
The Ticket to Work Incentive was started in 1999 to help those with disabilities to become self-sufficient. It provides funds for vocational rehabilitation, employment and other services. There are incentives to service providers for successful rehabilitation. Health protection and benefit protection are safeguarded in this program. Helping disabled people return to productive work decreases the dependence on disability benefits while at the same time increasing feelings of usefulness and self worth.
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