Congressional Research Service Reports - 71 Matching Results

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Social Security Reform: President Bush's Individual Account Proposal

Description: The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, commonly referred to as Social Security, is facing a long-term fiscal deficit. In response to this challenge, President Bush has made Social Security reform the key focus of his domestic social policy agenda during his second term. On February 2, the President issued a document, “Strengthening Social Security for the 21st Century,” which lays out the specifications for a system of voluntary individual accounts to be phased-in as … more
Date: April 25, 2005
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Unemployment Taxes and SUTA Dumping

Description: This report provides a summary of the State Unemployment Tax Acts (SUTA) Dumping Prevention Act of 2004, P.L. 108-295. The term "SUTA dumping" refers to a variety of tax planning strategies used by employers to minimize the tax burden of federally mandated state unemployment taxes.
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: Maguire, Steven & Whittaker, Julie M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mexican Workers in the United States: A Comparison with Workers from Social Security Totalization Countries

Description: On June 29, 2004, the United States and Mexico signed a Social Security totalization agreement, the effects of which depend on the yet to be disclosed language of the agreement. A totalization agreement coordinates the payment of Social Security taxes and benefits for workers who divide their careers between two countries. The agreement has not been transmitted to Congress for review, which is required under law before the agreement can go into effect. This report does not attempt to estimate t… more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Siskin, Alison & Mayer, Gerald
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Age Dependency Ratios and Social Security Solvency

Description: As highlighted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the aging of the (United States) population, hastened by the impending retirement of the huge baby-boom generation, has caused policy-makers to question whether the U.S. Social Security system can meet the demands for retirement benefits in the future. Because the current system largely pays benefits through taxes paid by current workers, the financial health of the system is sensitive to the ratio of dependents to workers—sometimes ca… more
Date: October 27, 2006
Creator: Shrestha, Laura B.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Welfare: Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits for Children in Foster Care

Description: This report begins with a discussion of the foster care system and the Social Security benefits available to eligible children, including those in foster care. It then describes the role of representative payees and their responsibilities. The report provides data on the use of Social Security benefits to reimburse states for child welfare, and includes a discussion of the Keffeler decision. Finally, the report concludes with proposals supported by some advocates to change the current practice … more
Date: February 1, 2007
Creator: Fernandes, Adrienne L.; Szymendera, Scott & Stoltzfus, Emilie
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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 inaccurate and often unfair.
Date: March 8, 2007
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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: July 17, 2007
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Impact of Medicare Premiums on Social Security Beneficiaries

Description: This report shows how the deduction of Medicare Part B and Part D premiums affects Social Security beneficiaries. It describes how increases in Social Security benefits and Medicare premiums are calculated under current law and explains the circumstances under which Social Security beneficiaries are held harmless for increases in the standard Part B premium, as well as the premium assistance available to low-income beneficiaries.
Date: January 7, 2008
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Disability Insurance: The Five-Month Waiting Period for SSDI Benefits

Description: Current law requires that a person wait five months from the onset of a qualifying disability before receiving Social Security benefits. This report explains the five-month waiting period and its legislative history. This report also provides information on other programs that provide income support during this waiting period. It also briefly describes legislation introduced in the 110th Congress that would reduce or eliminate the five-month Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) waiting p… more
Date: January 8, 2008
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Substantial Gainful Activity for the Blind

Description: This report examines the Social Security disability program, the level of earnings that constitute "substantial gainful activity" (SGA), and therefore disqualifies a person from receiving benefits, is set by regulation at $940 a month for 2008. However, for the blind, the law provides a different SGA level, $1570 a month for 2008, which is adjusted annually to reflect growth in average wages. This report discusses the reasons for these differing amounts and proposals to change them.
Date: January 8, 2008
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Survivors Benefits

Description: This report describes how a person becomes covered by Survivors Insurance. It outlines the types and amounts of benefits available to survivors, eligibility for those benefits, and the benefit application process. It provides statistics on survivor beneficiaries and a legislative history of Survivors Insurance, including legislative activity in the 110th Congress.
Date: January 8, 2008
Creator: Romig, Kathleen & Szymendera, Scott
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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