Congressional Research Service Reports - 329 Matching Results

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Social Security Administration (SSA): Budget Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of the Social Security Administration's mandatory spending but largely focuses on discretionary appropriations for the agency's administrative expenses. The size of the annual appropriations for administrative expenses affects the agency's ability to effectively administer the SSA's benefit programs and conduct program integrity activities designed to ensure that only eligible persons receive federal benefits.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Szymendera, Scott D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

Description: This report provides information on the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which is the modern-day program that continues to fund this network of local antipoverty agencies. The report also describes several smaller related programs that are administered by the same federal office that currently oversees the CSBG.
Date: January 5, 2015
Creator: Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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How Social Security Benefits Are Computed: In Brief

Description: This report discusses how Social Security benefits are currently computed, including information about eligibility, earnings, cost-of-living adjustments, factors that can affect benefit levels, and benefits for dependents.
Date: February 4, 2015
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Reform: An Overview of Proposals to Manage the Growth in the SSDI Rolls

Description: This report provides background information on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Also, this report provides an overview of proposals to manage the long-term growth in the SSDI rolls. Most of the proposals focus on reducing the inflow (enrollment) of new beneficiaries into the program.
Date: January 9, 2015
Creator: Morton, William R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: This report discusses the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-215) that established a pension system for federal employees in the executive branch of government.
Date: January 3, 2011
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Disability Benefits Available Under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Veterans Disability Compensation (VDC) Programs

Description: This report seeks to clarify why one group of individuals with disabilities may be eligible for benefits under Veteran's Disability Compensation (VDC), but ineligible for benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (and vice versa), through a description and comparison of several distinguishing characteristics of the SSDI and VDC programs. This report concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing the administration of both programs, including processing delays for pending … more
Date: June 17, 2010
Creator: Moulta-Ali, Umar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Cost-of-Living Adjustments

Description: To compensate for the effects of inflation, Social Security recipients usually receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Benefits will be increased by 1.7% in 2015, following an increase of 1.5% in 2014. This report discusses how the COLA is determined.
Date: October 29, 2014
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits

Description: This report discusses the calculations that go into taxing Social Security benefits, which prior to 1984 were exempt from taxation but have since been taxed at gradually increasing levels.
Date: August 4, 2014
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Lump-Sum Death Benefit

Description: This report provides a brief description of the Lump-Sum Death Benefit and discusses the number of benefit payments and total spending.
Date: July 15, 2014
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Trust Fund

Description: This report covers how the Social Security program is financed and how the Social Security trust fund works.
Date: July 31, 2014
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn & Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration (SSA): Budget Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of the SSA's mandatory spending but largely focuses on discretionary appropriations for the agency's administrative expenses. The size of the annual appropriations for administrative expenses affects the agency's ability to effectively administer the SSA's benefit programs as well as conduct program integrity activities designed to ensure that only eligible persons receive federal benefits.
Date: January 25, 2012
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Trust Fund Investment Practices

Description: This report describes Social Security trust fund investment practices under current law.
Date: August 20, 2014
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fact Sheet: The Social Security Retirement Age

Description: This report discusses the two important ages that may affect a worker's plans to claim Social Security retired-worker benefits. Workers may claim full Social Security benefits at the full retirement age (FRA), which is rising gradually to age 67 for workers who were born in 1960 or later. Retired workers may claim benefits as early as age 62, which is known as the early eligibility age (EEA). Social Security benefits are reduced, however, for every month that retired worker benefits are claimed… more
Date: January 24, 2013
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Inflation-Indexing Elements in Federal Entitlement Programs

Description: This report identifies key indexing elements in major federal entitlement programs under current law and presents the information in a summary table. The report provides a brief description of the measures of consumer price change used to index various elements of these programs under current law, as well as the alternative measure of consumer price change (the Chained CPI-U) that has been proposed for computing Social Security cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) and making inflation adjustments… more
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Expediting the Return to Work: Approaches in the Unemployment Compensation Program

Description: This report examines trends in the duration of unemployment benefits and then reviews a wide range of approaches for speeding the return to work. The report emphasizes measures that have recently been considered by lawmakers or have been tried on an experimental basis, particularly if evaluations of their impacts on duration of Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefit receipt are available.
Date: April 18, 2013
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M. & Smith, Ralph E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Primer on Disability Benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Description: This report provides an overview on federal disability benefits programs including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is an insurance program that provides benefits to individuals who have paid into the system and meet certain minimum work requirements, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a means-tested program that does not have work or contribution requirements, but restricts benefits to those who meet certain financial eligibility criteria.
Date: August 1, 2014
Creator: Morton, William R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

Description: This report looks at the purpose and background of Community Services Block Grants (CSBG), which provide federal funds to states, territories, and tribes for distribution to local agencies to support a wide range of community-based activities to reduce poverty. It includes program data, funding activity for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, and proposals for FY2015.
Date: May 24, 2013
Creator: Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): The Five-Month Waiting Period for Benefits

Description: This report explains the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and its legislative history. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is authorized by Title II of the Social Security Act and provides income replacement for eligible individuals who are unable to work due to a longterm injury or illness that is expected to last at least one year or result in death.
Date: January 13, 2013
Creator: Moulta-Ali, Umar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform: Legal Analysis of Social Security Benefit Entitlement Issues

Description: This report addresses selected legal issues which may be raised regarding entitlement to Social Security benefits as Congress considers possible changes to the Social Security program, and in view of projected long-range shortfalls in the Social Security Trust Funds.
Date: July 7, 2013
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Nicola, Thomas J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Reform: Legal Analysis of Social Security Benefit Entitlement Issues

Description: This report addresses selected legal issues that may be raised regarding entitlement to Social Security benefits as Congress considers possible changes to the Social Security program in view of projected long-range shortfalls in the Social Security Trust Funds.
Date: September 17, 2014
Creator: Lanza, Emily M. & Nicola, Thomas J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: This report discusses the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-215) that established a pension system for federal employees in the executive branch of government.
Date: March 19, 2014
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Minimum Benefits

Description: This report explains how the Special Minimum Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) functions under current law and presents arguments for and against expanding it. It then discusses criteria for evaluating proposals for change and describes some specific options for increasing benefits paid to people with low earnings or low income
Date: June 23, 2014
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: This report discusses the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-215) that established a pension system for federal employees in the executive branch of government.
Date: April 13, 2014
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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