Wednesday, May 25, 2011

New papers from the Social Science Research Network

"Social Security Benefits Formula 101" Orange County Lawyer, May 2011

FRANCINE J. LIPMAN, Chapman University - School of Law
Email: lipman@chapman.edu
JAMES E. WILLIAMSON, San Diego State University - College of Business Administration
Email: james.williamson@sdsu.edu

This paper is a comprehensive presentation of the Social Security benefits formula including a brief discussion of the relatively recent means testing for Medicare premiums.

"Military Veterans and Social Security: 2010 Update" Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 71, No. 2, pp. 1-15, 2011

ANYA OLSEN, Government of the United States of America - Social Security Administration - Office of Retirement Policy
Email: anya.olsen@ssa.gov
SAMANTHA O'LEARY, Office of Retirement Policy
Email: Samantha.Oleary@ssa.gov

More than 1 out of 5 adult Social Security beneficiaries has served in the military, and veterans and their families comprise 35 percent of the beneficiary population. Policymakers are particularly concerned with the economic well-being of veterans and their family members, who may receive benefits through several government programs. Using data from the March 2010 Current Population Survey (CPS), this article presents the sociodemographic characteristics of the veteran beneficiary and the total veteran populations. Relative to all Social Security beneficiaries, veteran beneficiaries are older; greater proportions are men, are married, and have higher educational attainment; and fewer are poor or near poor. Veteran beneficiary demographic trends are examined by drawing comparisons with findings from the March 2000 CPS and the March 2004 CPS. Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs VetPop2007 projection model, this article also describes the growing proportions of women and minorities in the veteran population.

"Who Never Receives Social Security Benefits?" Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 71, No. 2, pp. 17-24, 2011

KEVIN WHITMAN, U.S. Social Security Administration
Email: Kevin.Whitman@ssa.gov
GAYLE REZNIK, U.S. Social Security Administration
Email: Gayle.Reznik@ssa.gov
DAVE SHOFFNER, U.S. Social Security Administration
Email: Dave.Shoffner@ssa.gov

We estimate that about 4 percent of individuals aged 62-84 in 2010 will never receive Social Security benefits. This article describes the prevalence, demographic characteristics, and economic well-being of this group. The never-beneficiary population generally has lower education levels and higher proportions of women, Hispanics, immigrants, the never-married, and widows than the beneficiary population. Never-beneficiaries have a far higher poverty rate (about 44 percent) than current and future beneficiaries (about 4 percent). Ninety-five percent of never-beneficiaries are individuals whose earnings histories are insufficient to qualify for benefits. Late-arriving immigrants and infrequent workers comprise the vast majority of these insufficient earners. Late-arriving immigrants have a poverty rate of about 43 percent, and are particularly reliant on income from household coresidents. Infrequent workers have a poverty rate of about 57 percent, and are particularly reliant on Supplemental Security Income.

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