SSA provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits. All wages paid to you are covered unless excluded.
The system was designed by Germany’s chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the 19th century. It’s based on the idea of social insurance-benefits for people who work in the formal sector financed by dedicated taxes on earnings.
Benefits
ביטוח לאומי is a program that provides you with monthly cash payments when you retire or lose your job. The payments are based on the wages you earn and the taxes you pay. These payments help you cover expenses such as food, clothing, and utilities. Social Security also offers medical coverage and disability insurance.
These benefits are not meant to replace all of your income, and they may be subject to limits. To learn more about your benefit amounts, visit the Social Security website or contact a local office.
The ASPIRE database contains performance indicators of social insurance disaggregated by 2 harmonized program categories (contributory pensions and other social insurance) and by rural and urban geographical areas. It also allows comparison of expenditures on different functional groups.
In 2020, the proportion of expenditure on social protection benefits paid in cash peaks at about two thirds in Greece and Italy, and at over 70 % in Portugal, Cyprus and Latvia. It is lower in Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.
Another factor to consider when comparing the relative shares of different Social Security functions is that there are substantial differences between EU Member States in terms of their population structure and the focus/aim of social protection reforms. For example, the skewed pattern of low ratios for means-tested versus non means-tested cash benefits observed in Ireland can be partly explained by the structure of the country’s population, which is predominantly older.
Taxes
A person’s earnings history is an important factor in their entitlement to Social Security benefits. The record is a chronological list of all the money they earned, including wages and self-employment income, from the year they first started working until their death or retirement. Your earnings are recorded on your Social Security number and remain with you even if you change jobs or move to another country. Your record is accessible at any time by logging into your personal my Social Security account.
Generally, Social Security payments are not taxable. However, if you have other significant income in addition to your Social Security benefits (such as wages, interest, dividends and other taxable income) some of your benefit may be taxable. See Taxes on Your Income for more information.
The Social Insurance Fund is made up of a current account and an investment account managed by the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Finance, respectively. The current account holds monies collected from people in employment while the investment account is a savings account for future withdrawal.
If you have a pattern of part-time or job-sharing work, you should know that this may affect your Social Insurance contribution record and the amount of contributions you pay. If you receive a benefit payment from both ERS and PFRS, your pay stub will tell you whether the payment is ERS or PFRS.
Eligibility
Social Security benefits are based on the amount you earned during your working years. Your monthly benefits will be based on that number, plus any accumulated Medicare premiums you paid and any other deductions that apply, such as deductions for dependents or income taxes. SSA will send you a notice telling you how much your monthly benefit is based on your earning record.
You have a right to appeal any unfavorable decisions made by SSA regarding your eligibility for benefits. The majority of disability claims are reviewed through a network of local field offices and State agencies (usually called Disability Determination Services, or DDSs) before appeals are sent to the Office of Hearing Operations within SSA.
From time to time, SSA asks people receiving disability payments whether their medical conditions have improved. This step is called a Continued Disability Review, or CDR. SSA will use questions similar to those it asks in new disability claims, and will determine if your medical condition has improved to the point that you cannot perform any work activity. If the answer is no, your benefits will continue (unless one of the limited exceptions applies).
SSI beneficiaries may also be eligible for some SSA work incentive programs such as the nine month trial work period and the three year extended period of eligibility. You can learn more about these programs from a free source such as the SSA Redbook or the NJWINS Project.
Administration
The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the social insurance programs of the United States. It is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government. SSA is the principal federal agency responsible for administering retirement, disability and survivor benefits to meet America’s ever-changing needs.
SSA also administers Medicare, a health care program for people who have worked and paid taxes enough to qualify. In addition, SSA provides information and assistance to help workers choose and change their retirement, supplemental, and other employer-sponsored benefit plans.
In Africa, there is strong political will at the highest levels to put in place policies aimed at building sustainable development and ensuring effective access to social protection. This commitment is reflected in multiple continental policy and strategic frameworks such as Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want of the African Union, and the Abidjan Declaration adopted by ILO Constituents in December 2019. These frameworks call for progressively expanding sustainable social protection coverage.