families, which made up 7’7 percent of the 9.5 Notes and Brief Reports million, numbered 7.3 million-about 657,000 more than a year earlier. The number of sur- Family Benefits in Current-Payment vivor families increased 200,000, to 2.2 million. Status, , 1959X Disabled-worker families numbered about 275,000, and 86,000 dependents of disabled workers were During the year ended June 30, 1959, the num- receiving monthly benefits provided by the 1958 ber of families receiving monthly benefits under amendments to the Social Security Act. At the the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance end of June 1958, only disabled workers them- program increased about 931,000. At the end of selves could receive benefits, and about 200,000 the fiscal year, monthly benefits were being paid had benefits in current-payment status. to at least one person in 9.7 million families Average family benefits at the end of June 1959 (table 1). Of these, about 9.5 million were either were substantially higher than those a year earlier retired-worker or survivor families, an increase because of (1) the higher benefit rates provided for the year of about 857,000. Retired-worker by the 1958 amendments, (2) the rising propor- tion of benefits computed on the basis of earnings * Prepared by Harry Ballantyne, Division of Program after 1950, and (3) the increasing number com- Analysis, Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance. puted under the provisions of the 1954 amend-

TABLE l.-Estimated number of families and beneficiaties in receipt of benefits and average monthly benefit in current-payment status by family group, end of June 1958 and 1959 [Number in thousands; data corrected to Feb. 24,19601

I June 30.1958 June 30.1959 I;‘gE;3 I - - - l----- in svemge Family classiflcetion of beneficiaries Average Average monthly Number N”zber montblv N”zber :zots amount bene- bene- 3er family fa&ees per Per 1959 from ficiaries family ficiaries family 1958 ------

Tot&- ______------1 8.797.1 11.905.3 , 13,181.4 i -. -- -- Retired-worker families ______------6.638.6 8,785.1 _ __. - - _ _- ;,;g:; , -. .------_ Worker only-...--~-______--~--~~------~--~~------4,662.0 I 4.662.0 $gfg.~~ , F%:i Male --______------2,500.6 2.500.6 2:700.E # 2:700.6 8RiZ Female ____-- ______------2.161.4 2,161.4 53:oo 2,453.C , 2,453.0 58.30 Worker and aged wife ______----______------3,670.4 110.20 1.978.1 120.60 Worker and young wife L______-.-______--- 1*835:i 105.10 , 39g5T:; 113.70 Worker and aged dependent husband ______13.7 2i.i 93.20 14:: 29.4 104.70 Worker and 1 or more children-.. ______..______29.1 69:4 106.70 33.8 78.4 119.70 Worker, wife aged 65 or over, and 1 or more children ______, 26.2 139.00 14.7 47.9 152.70 Worker, young wife, and 1 or more children ______8::: 128.30 100.3 148.20 Worker, husband, and 1 or more children ______327:38 129.00 36g:z 136.W Survivor families ______------1.95s:: - _- - _ __ __ 2,157:: 3,183.6 -. .___ - _____ Agedwidow..-.-.---_--_-__-.--_------1.165.4 Xi:: 61.60 1.311.5 56.20 Aged dependent widower ______-- ’ 1.6 48.30 1.7 '131::i 53.20 Widowed mother only I___.______---- :2 60.30 57.20 Widowed mother and 1 child ______145:1 2QE 116.20 16::: 30;:: 129.00 Widowed mother and 2 children ______101.8 305:4 149.50 107.9, 166.50 Widowed mother and 3 or more children ______459.6 148.10 102.7 :iE 177.50 Divorced wife and 1 or more children. --______g6:i 137.40 .3 :S 161.60 Aged widow and 1 or more children ______11:: 105.60 17.8 Widower and 1 or more children ______(;;‘i 94.00 ‘2 Zi 1 child only-.___-__-_____._------~-~~~------~ '258 0 61.20 (27::: %I3 6 66.40 2 children ______------se:4 198:8 88.10 104.9 209:s 97.00 3 children ______------102.6 35.1 105.3 125.00 4 or more children ______------E 95.0 ::E 98.8 150.00 1 aged dependent parent ______--- 2;:; 26.0 52:70 ;:; 58.60 2 aged dependent parents ______--- 3.4 98.40 "i:i 110.40 1 or 2 aged dependent parents and 1 or more other survivors 4______:- _ -. _ _ ------_ ___ :S 190.00 Disabled-worker families 6______- -__ 200.4 200.4 _-______-_ 275.2 36::: -. - - _ _. - - - _ _--_---_--- Workeroaly------.----.------200.4 200.4 74.40 235.6 235.6 Male ______------158.8 158.8 75.50 179.0 179.0 “g:: 2 ;i Female.._-.-__-.--.------41.6 41.6 70.10 56.6 66.6 75.80 8 Worker and aged wife ______------______- -. ______-- - - ______, 12.7 25.4 130.00 -_-___-_-__ Worker and aged dependent husband ______- -. ______- --_ - _ - _ _ _ _ _ 104.00 __-__--____ Worker and 1 or more chiIdren ______..______- _. ______- _ _-- _ _ _- _ _ _ _ _ 6:: 1s:; 158.00 ______-____ Worker, wife aged 66 or over. and 1 or more children ______- _. ______- _ _-- ______200.00 Worker, young wife, and 1 or more children ______- _. ______------_ _- -. 20:; so:! 188.00 - - - - 1 Benefits to children were being withheld. firdent widowers, or dependent children were first payable for September *LessthanM). * Less than 0.5 percent. 5 Genefits to disabled workers aged 56-64 were first payable for July 1957, 4 Benefits to parents of deceased workers aho were survived by widows, and benefits to their dependents for September 1958.

22 SOCIAL SECURITY TABLE 2.-Estimated number of families and beneficiaries in TeCdpt of benefits and average monthly benejit in current-payment status on June 30, 1969, for selected family groups, by starting date used in benefit computation [Number in thousands; data corrected to Feb. 24, lQ601

Total Based on earnings after 1936 -i- Based on earnings after 1950 -- I ------T

Average Average 1tverage N”zber Family olassiflcation of beneficiaries 1 1 ;nonthly Nun$ber I nonthlg r I nonthly families N”zber NYfber \Tusbel of bene- amount bene- Ismount q”zberbene- *rmount families families f amilies per peraL. ficiaries f%ly ficiaries fa% y ficiaries family tcifai _--I- -- _- _- .- -- -- Retired-worker families: Worker only------. 5,153.6 6.153.6 y7.g Lg.; l,Q37.7 ‘;;.;g 3.215.9 3,215.Q 62 Male ______--. 2.700.6 2.700.6 974.8 1.725.8 1.726.8 %:ii 64 Female ______------. 2,453.0 2.453.0 68: 30 962:Q 962.9 47: 10 1,490.l 1,490.l 65.50 Worker and aged wife ______1,978.l 3,Q56.2 120.60 660.5 1,101.o 93.50 1.427.6 2,865.2 131.00 E Survivor families: Aged widow---.---.---_------. 1.311.5 1.311.5 66.20 870.3 50.30 440.8 440.8 67.80 34 Widowed mother and 2 children ______. 107.9 323.7 166.60 38.6 111.70 69.3 207.9 197.00 64 Disabled-worker families: Worker only-----.___-----__------. 235.6 235.6 87.70 69.8 69.8 72.70 165.8 165.8 94.00 70 Male ____i ______179.0 179.0 49.4 75.50 129.6 97.50 72 Female ______. 66.6 k2 49.420.4 20.4 36.2 %:! 81.40 Worker, young wife. and 1 or more children _____. 80.8 188.00 5.4 10.8 1%: 14.8 29.6 208.00 ti i ------ments that permit, in the computation of the based on earnings after 1950 were $67.80 for aged- average monthly wage, the dropping of as many widow families and $197.00 for families consisting as 5 years of lowest covered earnings and, in of a widowed mother and two children. Only addition, any period of total disability. 34 percent of the aged-widow families received Payments to retired workers without depend- benefits based on earnings after 1950. This low ents also receiving benefits averaged $77.30 for proportion reflects the large percentage of awards men and $58.30 for women. Among families to (1) widows aged 62 or over whose husbands consisting of a retired worker and his aged wife, had died before April 1952 and (2) widows whose the average was $120.60. The average benefit for husbands had retired before April 1952 and have aged-widow families was $56.20, and for families since died with no employment after March 1952; consisting of a widowed mother and two children, benefits cannot be based on earnings after 1950 in it was $166.50. either case. The average benefits being paid to disabled Among disabled-worker families, the average workers who had no dependents also receiving benefits based on post-1950 earnings were $88.00 benefits were $91.40 for men and $75.80 for for a man with no dependents, $65.50 for a woman women. For families composed of a disabled with no dependents, and $208.00 for a disabled worker, a young wife, and one or more children, worker, his young wife, and one or more children. the average benefit was $188.00. Families with benefits computed on the basis of earnings after 1950 had considerably higher Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance: average benefits than those whose benefits were Administrative Expenses* based on earnings after 1936 (table 2). Among retired-worker families whose benefits were based From the beginning of the old-age, survivors, on post-1950 earnings, the averages being paid and disability insurance program, administrative were $88.00 for a man with no dependents, $65.50 costs have represented a remarkably small pro- for a woman with no dependents, and $131.00 for portion of contribution income-from 2 percent a retired worker and his aged wife. At the end to 3 percent in most years. These costs have of June 1959, about 65 percent of all retired- represented a similar proportion of disbursements worker families were receiving benefits based on for benefit payments in recent years, as benefit earnings after 1950. This proportion is expected outgo has been rapidly maturing, and only about to increase since earnings after 1950 were used for about 88 percent of the old-age benefits awarded in the year ended June 30, 1959. *Prepared by Robert J. Myers, Chief Actuary, Social For survivor families, the average benefits Security Administration.

BULLETIN, MAY- 23