Social Security Attorney Services

The Social Security

As the term itself suggests, Social Security is designed to provide security for all members of society within a certain government/state. Social Security entails protecting individuals from unforeseen catastrophes; the government spreads certain sacrifices among all members of society in order that no single family bears the full burden of responsibility when such occurrences arise.

The program for social security in the United States was created in 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the “Social Security Act” providing federal old-age and survivor benefits for workers and their families. The law was amended in 1956 to provide disability insurance benefits expanding social security for citizens.

Social Security benefits are not like welfare since they are paid to an individual or his/her family in part on the basis of that person’s employment record and prior contributions to the system which governs its implementation. In other words, unlike social welfare, social security is invested through years of hard work.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the authority with regards to the implementation of the program for social security. Since 1965, other programs were already included, like health insurance benefits under the Medicare program.

Under the Federal Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI), monthly benefits are paid out to retired people, to families whose wage earner has died, and to workers unemployed due to sickness or accident. When workers have been employed for a minimum amount of time and have made contribution to the program, they could qualify for its protection. Certain other family members of an individual worker also qualify whenever the worker has qualified for the protection. Financial need is not a requirement in order to qualify for protection.

Under the Supplemental Security Income program, benefits are provided for aged, blind and disabled people without regard to prior workforce participation. The program is not funded by Social Security taxes, though administered by the SSA.

The federal law on social security (Social Security Act) governs the right of an applicant to benefits. State substantive law, on the other hand, governs some of the family relationship issues that may have bearing on the rights to benefits, like validity of marriage.

To sum up, Social Security is the comprehensive government or federal program of benefits; it provides economic assistance, giving the workers and their dependents with retirement income, disability income, and support with other expenses. The worker and his / her dependents are given financial assistance depending if he/she qualifies on the basis of need. Thus, the Social Security benefits are paid to an individual or to his family on the basis of the person’s employment record and prior contributions to the system.

On this site, learn more of the procedures and workings of the social security program which may benefit you and your family.