Congressional Research Service Reports - 71 Matching Results

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Social Security: Brief Facts and Statistics

Description: This report provides brief facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program's impact on recipients' incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, administrative information, and selected facts about Medicare.
Date: March 20, 2003
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Windfall Benefit Provision

Description: This report discusses the windfall elimination provision, which reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. Its purpose is to remove an advantage these workers would otherwise receive because of Social Security's benefit formula that favors workers with smaller amounts of Social Security-covered career earnings. Opponents contend that the provision is basically inaccurate and often unfair. In both the 107th and 1… more
Date: January 9, 2004
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Brief Facts and Statistics

Description: This report provides brief facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program’s impact on recipients’ incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, and administrative information.
Date: March 3, 2005
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform: Bills in the 106th Congress

Description: The Social Security system is projected to have long-range funding problems. Although the system’s income currently exceeds its expenditures, its trust funds are projected to be depleted in 2037. Concern about the problem and a belief that the remedy lies partly in economic growth that could be bolstered by changes to the system have led to introduction of a number of bills incorporating varying degrees of reform. This report describes the funding problem in some detail, summarizes many of the … more
Date: April 11, 2000
Creator: Koitz, David S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Benefits for Noncitizens: Current Policy and Legislation

Description: Concerns about the number of unauthorized (illegal) aliens residing in the United States and the totalization agreement with Mexico signed in 2004 have fostered considerable interest in the eligibility of noncitizens for U.S. Social Security benefits. This report examines the issue and discusses current legislation pertaining to it.
Date: January 24, 2007
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn & Siskin, Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform

Description: This report examines the debate over the future of the Social Security system. It includes discussion of recent developments; background and analysis with information about the basic debate, specific area of contention, reform initiatives; and relevant legislation.
Date: December 9, 2004
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform

Description: This report provides background and analysis on social security reform. The report discusses the most recent development, the basis for the debate, specific areas of contention and reform initiatives.
Date: December 3, 2003
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey & Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Happens to Future Benefit Levels Under Various Reform Options

Description: The report first examines several benefit-constraint options. Among them are raising the age at which full Social Security retirement benefits can be received, changing the way initial benefits are computed, and constraining cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). It also illustrates the effects of creating new personal savings accounts and presents their projected impact as a supplement to, or partial replacement of, the existing system, or as a means to close the gap between the benefit levels pr… more
Date: August 20, 2001
Creator: Koitz, David; Kollmann, Geoffrey & Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Cost-of-Living Adjustment in January 2002

Description: This report discusses the Social Security recipients that receive a costof- living adjustment (COLA) in January of each year. An automatic Social Security benefit increase reflects the rise in the cost of living over roughly a 1-year period
Date: October 25, 2001
Creator: Koitz, David & Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Structure of Social Security Individual Account Contributions and Investments: Choices and Implications

Description: Policymakers have debated creating a system of individual accounts (IAs) as part of Social Security for many years. This report describes policymakers’ administrative and structural choices regarding the collection and investment of assets in a system of individual accounts.
Date: May 1, 2006
Creator: Whitman, Debra B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits

Description: This report discusses the Social Security system that provides monthly benefits to qualified retirees, disabled workers, and their spouses and dependents.
Date: October 21, 2008
Creator: Mulvey, Janemarie & Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Description: This report discusses certain provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that pertain to Social Security. The ARRA as passed by the House of Representatives and Senate provides over $1 billion in supplemental appropriations to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and provides for a onetime $250 payment to all SSI recipients and adult Social Security beneficiaries.
Date: February 13, 2009
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Raising the Retirement Age Background and Issues

Description: The Social Security “full retirement age” — the age at which retired workers, aged spouses, or surviving aged spouses receive benefits that are not reduced for “early” retirement — will gradually rise from 65 to 67 beginning with people who attain age 62 in 2000 (i.e., those born in 1938). Early retirement benefits will still be available beginning at age 62 (age 60 for aged widows and widowers), but at lower levels. This report discusses bills introduced in the last four Congresses that would,… more
Date: June 7, 2000
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Notch Issue: A Summary

Description: This report discusses recent attempts at legislative action regarding changes to the computation of benefits under Social Security Amendments of 1977 (P.L. 95-216), which directly affected retirees born in the 5- to 15-year period after 1916. These persons fall in the "notch" between previous Social Security legislation and those affected by the amendments.
Date: August 5, 2003
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Notch Issue: A Summary

Description: This report discusses recent attempts at legislative action regarding changes to the computation of benefits under Social Security Amendments of 1977 (P.L. 95-216), which directly affected retirees born in the 5- to 15-year period after 1916. These persons fall in the "notch" between previous Social Security legislation and those affected by the amendments.
Date: March 6, 2003
Creator: Kollmann, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brief Facts and Statistics

Description: This report provides facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program's impact on its recipients' incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, administrative information, and selected facts about Medicare.
Date: January 26, 2006
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform

Description: President Bush has highlighted Social Security reform as a top priority during his second term. The President has not presented a detailed plan for reform. Rather, he has put forth guidelines for Congress to consider in the development of legislation to create personal accounts within a program in need of “wise and effective reform.” The President has acknowledged that other changes would be needed to address the system’s projected long-range funding shortfall. In recent years, reform ideas hav… more
Date: September 20, 2005
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Trust Fund

Description: The Social Security program is financed primarily through taxes, which are deposited in the U.S. Treasury and credited to the Social Security trust fund. Any revenues credited to the trust fund in excess of the costs (benefit payments and administrative costs) are invested in special U.S. obligations (debt instruments of the U.S. government).
Date: August 11, 2005
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report looks at ways to overhaul the Social Security system due to a projected lack of system funds, which are estimated to become exhausted in 2041.
Date: August 20, 2009
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

Description: This report discusses the windfall elimination provision (WEP), which reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. Its purpose is to remove an advantage these workers would otherwise receive because of Social Security’s benefit formula that favors workers with smaller amounts of Social Security-covered career earnings. Opponents contend that the provision is basically imprecise and often unfair.
Date: January 14, 2008
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues

Description: The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Social Security program (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and provides administrative support to Medicare and several other federal programs. Total SSA spending in FY2006 was about $597 billion, 98% of which was mandatory spending on benefit payments. This report focuses on SSA’s spending for administrative expenses, which is discretionary and amounts to 2% of SSA’s… more
Date: June 13, 2007
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues

Description: The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Social Security program (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and provides administrative support to Medicare and several other federal programs. Total SSA spending in FY2007 was about $624 billion, about 99% of which was mandatory spending on benefit payments. This report focuses on SSA’s spending for administrative expenses, which is discretionary and amounts to about… more
Date: February 13, 2008
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

Description: This report discusses the windfall elimination provision (WEP), which reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. Its purpose is to remove an advantage these workers would otherwise receive because Social Security’s benefit formula is weighted such that workers with low lifetime earnings receive a greater share of their covered earnings in benefits than workers with medium or high lifetime earnings. Opponents con… more
Date: May 11, 2009
Creator: Shelton, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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