Monev Income Sources of Young Survivors, Dec&ber 1959 by MOLLIE ORSHANSKY * THE SOURCES of income for the major pop- program in terms of numbers served: 2 out of ulation groups with whom the public income- every 3 paternal orphans were supported in part maintenance programs are concerned are a subject by monthly benefits based on the deceased father’s of continuing interest and are reported regularly e5Lrnings.l Old-age, survivors, and disability in- in the BULLETIN. One of these groups consists surance, in contrast to programs designed for of “young survivors”-orphans, their widowed particular segments of the popula,tion-such as mothers, and other widows under a~ge 65. The veterans, civil-service employees, or railroad following article provides estimates of the num- workers-is a general program that affords po- ber having income from each of the major public tential protection against the risk of income loss programs or from employment. through death, total disability, or retirement for the families of 9 out of 10 workers. Indeed, it is estima,ted that by now about 86 percent of the ORPHANED CHILDREN children whose fathers die are awarded benefits At the end of 1959, there were 3 million chil- on the basis of his employment. dren in the United States who had lost one or both of their parents. These orphans represented about 41,&spercent of all children, the same pro- Other Income Sources portion as in 1958, but considerably fewer than One in 8 of the paternal orphans was receiving in earlier periods of our history. Twenty years income as the child of a deceased veteran, and 1 ago, 1 out of every 10 children, or 3.8 million in in 25 as the survivor of a rai1roa.d or government all, was an orphan. employee. Some of the children-about 12 per- In the majority of instances, it was the father cent in all-were receiving benefits under more who was dead (table 1), and even in these days than one program, usually both old-age, survi- of increased employment of married women the vors, and disability insurance benefits and veter- father’s death is likely to mean loss of the fam- ans’ compensation or pension payments (table 2). ily’s major source of support. It is, therefore, Public assistance, in the form of aid to depend- encouraging that more than three-fourths of the ent children, provided income for some 225,000 fatherless children were provided for in some orphans-about 11 percent of the total. The ma- measure by public income-maintenance programs. jority of the assistance recipients were children In many cases the mothers of these children were not eligible for support under any social insur- also receiving some support from a public pro- ance or related program, but an estimated 95,000 gram, and more could have done so had they (about 40 percent) were beneficiaries of such pro- chosen to restrict their earnings. The high re- grams whose total income was considered inade- marriage rate for young widows makes it clear quate under the standards set by their own State. that a number of widowed mothers had remar- As many as a third of the 2.1 million paternal ried and acquired another means of support for orphans in had mothers who were themselves and their children. working, and perhaps 6 percent were helping sup- port themselves by their own earnings, although Importance of OASDI the majority of the children who were employed Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance was probably had mothers working also. An un- by far the most important income-maintenance 1An additional 65,000orphans were receiving benefits based on the earnings credits of their deceased mother, *Division of Program Research,Office of the Commis- and about 10.000 orphans living outside the United sioner. States were also receiving benefits.

10 SOCIAL SECURITY TABLE I.-Estimated number of orphani:under age 18, by type filed a claim to become entitled: They were regu- and age, January 1, 1960 1 larly employed and earning more than is per- [In thousands1 mitted without suspension of benefits, the chil- dren’s benefits alone totaled the maximum allow- Father dead I - Mother able per family, or there were other reasons. Age (years) Total only Father Both dead Some of the mothers receiving old-age, survi- Total only P”dYi dead vors, and disability insurance benefits were re- .- ______TOtal..-. 2,955 2,115 2,055 60 840 ceiving payments under another program as well .- ______0-I. ______215 160 55 -usually as the widow of a deceased veteran or 5-9.------em 615 2 335 175 10-14..~~~~~~~~ 1.155 820 795 335 in the form of ‘public assistance supplements to 15-17 ______970 695 665 275 - insurance benefits not large enough for family 1 Estimates made by the Division of the Actuary based on Census popu- needs under State assistance standards. One in lation estimates for Jan. 1,. 1960, for the 60 states, the District of Cplumbia. Puerto Rico, and the Virgm Islands. Estimates based on generatmn mor- 6 of the mothers receiving old-age, survivors, and tality rates for the total United States population, by sex and race, and on the age distribution of parents of children born m each year 1941-59: not disability insurance benefits received veterans’ entirely consistent with those published before 1959 because of changes in methods and assumption. compensation or pension payments also, and about 8 Less than 2,500. 1 in 13 was on the public assistance rolls. The programs for veterans’ survivors and aid to de- known but no doubt considerable number of or- pendent children, the two largest income-mainte- phans had acquired a new father and thus a new nance programs after old-age, survivors, and dis- source of support through adoption or by the ability insurance, provided some income for ‘70,- mother’s remarriage. Others were dependent, at 000 and 75,000 widowed mothers, respectively. least in part, on older brothers and sisters, grand- parents, or other relatives with whom they made their home, and a sma,ll number were in foster- family homes or public institutions. Employment as Income Source Despite the fact that public programs provided income for many widows with children, the WIDOWS WITH CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE mother’s own employment was a very important source of support for young survivor families. At the end of 1959, there mere about 31/2 About every other mother worked. It is not sur- million widows under age 65 in the United States. prising that more than 40 percent of the working One in every 5--740,000 in all-was responsible mothers were themselves receiving social insur- for the care of a child or children under age 18 ance or similar payments, since public programs (table 3). Mothers and children, deprived of their source of support by the death of the father, make up one of the main groups whom public TABLE 2.-Estimated number of children under age 18 with income-maintenance programs are designed to father dead receiving money income from speci$ed public income- maintenance programs, December 1969 1 protect. All told, 59 percent of the widowed mothers were receiving such income support- Paternal orphans 395,000 from social insurance and related pro- Source of money income grams and ‘75,000from federally aided public as- sistance, with 30,000 receiving payments of both Total in population- ______2,115 II33 types. Any public income-maintenance program *.------1,605 For the mothers, as for the orphaned children, Social insurance and related programs z....------_- 1,475 :: Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance.---- 1,400 66 old-age, survivors, and disability insurance was Veterans’ compensation and pension programs.- 245 12 Railroad and government employees’ retirement the most common income-support program, with programs..._-_-.-_----.------Aid to dependent children 3 ______..______2;: 1: benefits going to every other one. An additional * Data relate to the 50 States, the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico, and 85,000 mothers on the old-age, survivors, and dis- the Virgin Islands. * Orphans with income from more than one program are counted only once. ability insurance rolls were having benefits with- a Includes about 15,000 paternal orphans for whom the assistance payment held in December because their earnings were was based on factor other than father’s death. Source: Estimated in the Division of Program Research on the basis of above the work-test limit. An unknown number published and unpublished data from the Division of the Actuary and from the Bureau of the Census. the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and agencies of others who could have received benefits never administering income-maintenance programs.

BULLETIN, 11 TABLE a.--Estimated number of widows under age 66 with jecture-that widowed mothers are less likely to chikiren under age 18 receiting money income from employment work than are mothers in families broken for and specified public income-maintenance programs, December reasons other than death, despite the fact that 1969 1 fewer of the widows have children of preschool

Source of money income r age. Unlike widowhood and orphanhood, loss of IF------I family income through separation, desertion, or 1. Total in population ______740 100 divorce is not an insurable risk in terms of exist- 2. Employment.~..~.-~~~~~..~-~~~~~~~-.-~~~~.~-~ 380 51 3. Social insurance and related programs 3 . . ..____ 395 ing programs. Both widowed mothers and di- Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance.- 370 ii Veterans’ compensation and pension pro- vorced or separated mothers are more likely to grams.-..-.~~~~~..-~~~~~~~~--~~~~~~~-~~~~~ 70 9 Railroad and government employees’ retiie- work than those in husband-wife households. mentprograrns.-_.-.------.------25 4. Aid to dependent children 4 ______lo” In , for example, the proportion of 5. Support solely from other sources _..______1:; 14 mothers under age 65 in the labor force, by mari- 6. Income from more than one of sources specified inlines2-4..-._--_._-.._--.-.------.------210 28 tal status and age of children, was as follows: 3 Employment and social insurance or related programs.-.-.----.-.-.------165 22 Employment and aid to dependent children-.. 15 2 Aid to dependent children and social in- surance or related programs ______30 4 Mothers under age 65

r Data relate to the 50 States, t.he District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Children under age 18 Married, Divorced the Virgin Islands. Widows with income from sources specified may also have husband ON&lT$, income from such other sources as interest, dividends, cash contributions, or present earnings of other re1at.ive.s. Excludes widows who have remarried. absent f Because persons frequently have income from more than one of the sources specified, the sum of persons shown on lines numbered 2-5 exceeds the total number in the population (line 1). The estimates of persons with Any __-- _- _- __ __ _. - __ _. - -- 23 53 69 income from more than one source are developed from survey data. They are therefore subject to sampling errors, as well as the error inherent in projecting Aged 6-17 only ______._____..___ 40 survey Endings to additional population groups and different dates, errors Some under age 6 ______.______19 :! :: that arc relatively more significant for small estimates. 3 Persons with income from more than one program are counted only Once. 4 Includes about 5,009 mothers of orphans for whom the assistance payment was based on factor other than father’s death. The differences are especially marked among Source: Estimated in the Division of Program Research on the basis of published and unpublished data from the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and agencies administering income-maintenance pro- the mothers of preschool children, for whom day grams. care during the mother’s absence is at the same time both more essential and more expensive to by their nature are limited in the amount they provide. Among mothers with children under can pay. A number of others were receiving age 6, the proportion working was one-third benefits for their children even though they them- again as high for those divorced or otherwise selves did not qualify. separated from their husbands as for those wid- The decrease in the proportion of widowed owed. Data are not available that show sepa- mothers working-from 58 percent in December rately the divorced mothers, who may be more 1958 to 51 percent in December 1959-may be likely to receive some support from the father, more apparent than rea1.2 Before 1959, the labor- and the other mothers with husband absent. The force-participation data on which the estimates plight of families broken for reasons other than are based were not available separately for wid- death, who are not generally covered by social ows. It was therefore necessary to estimate how insurance, is of particular concern since they many employed women under age 65 listed as often include very young children. Among all neither single nor married with husband present women with one or more children under age 18, were widowed rather than separated or divorced, half of those divorced or otherwise separated but and how many of the working widows had chil- only a fourth of those widowed had a child under dren. Reports now available for 1959 provide age 6. Among the mothers with a husband pres- considerably more detail than heretofore. ent, 56 percent had a child of preschool age. These reports, giving characteristics of women Because a considerable proportion of working in the labor force, confirm what had been con- mothers are employed only part of a year, it may well be that the number having no income from *Amnng widows and divorcees of all ages combined, earnings or a public income-maintenance pro- the labor-force-participation rate in March 1959 was 38 percent, the same as in Marrh of the 2 preceding years. SeeBureau of Labor Statistics, Special Labor Force Re- 3B~xrea~ of Labor Statistics, Special Labor Force Re- ports, No. 2. preprinted from the Nonthly Labor Review, ports, No. ‘7, reprinted from the Montltly Labor Review, . , and unpublished data.

12 SOCIAL SECURITY gram during the year 1959 was smaller than the To obtain the total number in this group with 1 in 7 shown in table 3 for the month of De- old-age, survivors, and disability insurance bene- cember. fits there should be added to the 200,000 receiving widow’s benefits an estimated 110,000 who receive benefits as retired (old-age) workers, about 15,- 000 receiving benefits as disabled workers, and WIDOWS UNDER AGE 65 5,000 who receive benefits for the care of disabled WITH NO CHILDREN orphans over age 18. The total number of these At the end of 1959, there were 2.8 million wid- widows under age 65 receiving old-age, survivors, ows under age 65 with no children under age 18. and disability insurance benefits then becomes an Over half were relying on their own earnings, estimated 330,000, or 1 in 8. and better than a fourth were receiving benefits The following figures indicate the estimated from social insurance and related programs. As number and proportion of widows under age 65, nearly as can be estimated, about 1 in 5 was de- without young children, who received support pendent entirely on other resources, such as assets, from various sources, including an estimate of assistance from grown children or other relatives, the number receiving payments under State-local or payments under other public programs for programs of general assistance. which no estimates have been included here. For example, a few probably were receiving unem- ployment insurance or workmen’s compensation N”$b’ Source of money income Percent benefits. A small number were in public institu- thousands) -__ tions, and some of the 450,000 recipients of aid Total. _ _ .______- _____._.-____ 2,765 100 to the blind and aid to the permanently and to- Employment or public income-maintenance tally disabled were undoubtedly childless widows programs _.______.. -- . . . . --- ______2,275 82 Employment ..______.____...-.--- ______1,540 56 under age 65. Social insurance and related programs.--.--- 785 28 Old-age, survivors, and disability in- The liberalization of the old-age, survivors, and surance..~.~.~~~.~~.~~~~--...~...... -- 330 12 Veterans’ compensation and pension pro- disability insurance program and the growing grams-.-..----.-.--.------..-....--... 395 14 Railroad and government employees’ re- tendency for married women in recent years to tirement programs. ______.____ _.._.. 95 Qeneral assistance.... ______-__.- . ..__ i work outside the home even before their children Support solely from other sources ______.__.. 42 18 are grown have operated to reduce the economic disadvantage of widows under age 65 who no longer are responsible for youngsters, compared It is obvious that, for the widows having no with those still engaged in raising a family. children even more than for t,hose with young There are still substantial differences, however, children, their own employment rather than any between the two groups, both in the numbers re- income-maintenance program was the most com- ceiving income support and the particular public mon source of support. More than half of these program from which it emanates. widows were working at the end of 1959, and it In contrast to the widows having young chil- was the relatively rare woman who could count dren, who were much more likely to receive bene- both on her own earnings and benefits from a fits under old-age, survivors, and disability insur- public pr0gra.m. As might have been anticipated, ance than under other public programs, those however, because widows more often than other without children were most likely to receive bene- women no longer living with a husband are past fits as the wives of deceased veterans. Old-age, the age of most favorable employment opportu- survivors, and disability insurance is, however, nities, they are less likely to be in the labor force. fast catching up. As of March 1959, about 59 percent of all child- The number of widows under age 65 without less widows under age 65 were reported in the young children receiving Veterans Administra- labor force, compared with 68 percent of other tion payments in December 1959 was 395,000 or ever-ma.rried women with no husband present. 1 in 7. About half as many women aged 62-64 For married women under age 65, with husband were receiving widow’s benefits under the old- present but no children under age 18, only 42 age, survivors, and disability insurance program. percent were reported in the labor force.

BULLETIN, SEPTEMBER 1960 13