Social Security Administration - Research Paper Example

Social Security Administration Living in society should be considered to be one of the most important prerequisites for the development of the human potential. Indeed, this social environment does not simply provide people with a platform for interaction, but also takes care of the citizens with the help of various programs. That is why it would not be a mistake to suggest that Social Security should be considered to be one of the characteristic features of a fully developed state. This paper will explore the history and the current structure of the Social Security Administration, provide account of calculation of benefits and describe other benefits that are available through the program.

Social Security Act which was enacted in 1935 should be considered to be that starting point of Social Security programs. However, it was not until 1937 when the Supreme Courted proved the constitutionality of this piece of legislation (“Social Security History”, 2014). That is why this year was the first to witness the American government providing benefits to its citizens. In spite of the fact that the first people to receive these benefits were workers who retired, with the help of acts that were issue further in history, the scope was expanded to other categories of people.

If one takes a look at the programs that are currently implemented in the United Stated within the framework of Social Security, one will have to note the following one. First of all, it is the oldest of them which is titled Federal Old-Age (Retirement), Survivors, and Disability Insurance. The next one is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Then, there are several ones which focus on provision of healthcare services. The first of them is Medicare and the second is Medicaid. The program that should also be mentioned is Supplemental Security Income which has already helped a lot of people.

Today with the help of technology it is rather easy to calculate benefits that a person is entitled to. Social Security Administration website contains a lot of calculators that will do it in no time. However, the basic algorithm for this is the following: a person multiplies actual earnings by index in order to get indexed earnings (“Your Retirement Benefit: How It Is Figured”). After certain adjustments are applied this number is divided and the result is how much money the person will be entitled to each month.

Other than money that a person will get after the retirement, there are other benefits that ensure that a surviving spouse will be entitled to the money that late husband or wife received. Another point that should be mentioned is that children may also be the recipients of benefits if they are minors or disabled. As one can clearly see, Social Security programs are rather effective in their function of helping people to get a fair reward for their continuous work. In addition to that there is a wide range of people who may qualify for help and improve their conditions of living.

Having been started in the previous century, Social Security programs help numerous Americans.ReferencesSocial Security History. (2014). Social Security Administration. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.ssa.gov/history/court.htmlYour Retirement Benefit: How It Is Figured. (2014). Social Security Administration. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf