Social Security Administration Office & its Historical Background

The Social Security Administration office is maintained by United State’s independently functioning agency under the Federal Government and has responsibility of administering various social security functions related to social insurance program comprised of retirement, disability and the survivor’s benefits.

Social Security Administration Office

For attaining the qualification to achievement of these benefits, majority of American workers are paying their Social Security taxes based on their earnings. Moreover the entitlement of future benefits is linked to the contributions made by the employees themselves.

The present day Social Security Administration’s establishment took place in accordance with a law, which is presently represented by Code 42 U.S.C. § 901. The Social Security Administration office is functioning under its Commissioner. The present day Commissioner, Michael J. Astrue, got sworn in on the 12th February, 2007, and took charge of Social Security Administration office for six-year term.

Social Security Administration Office Background

The Social Security Administration office abbreviated as SSA, has its headquarters at Woodlawn, Maryland located towards west of Baltimore and is popularly called its Central Office. The agency operates through 10 of its regional offices besides its Eight Processing Centers and nearly 1300 offices spread all over the country designated as field offices under Social Security Administration office. There are also about 37 Teleservice Centers.

As per the data of year 2007, Social Security Administration office had employed staff of nearly 62,000 workers. The Social Security Administration office has Headquarter posted employees in the non-supervisory category, who are holding representation of AFGE Local 1923. The Social Security Administration office measured by its present strength of employees, it is the largest social welfare program operating in United States and is responsible for about 37% of Government’s overall spending and which is equal to 7% of the GDP.

By virtue of the Social Security Act provisions the formation of Social Security Board (SSB) is achieved, which is responsible for overseeing the administration functions of the new program. Its creation is essentially part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal by the act of signing of Social Security Act of 1935, on August 14, 1935. The Board in turn was constituted by three president’s executive appointments, and the beginning commenced without any budget, or staff, and even no furniture. It was given a temporary budget serviced through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, which was headed by Harry Hopkins.

The first of its kind Social Security Administration office was opened in Austin, at Texas, on October 14, 1936 and the collection of Social Security taxes for the first time took place during January 1937, including the first one-time, lump-sum payments.

Setting Up of Social Security Office & their Role in Economic Justice to All Classes

The Social security office in the region is established by Social Security Administration which came into being during 1930 on the command of the federal governments, which wished that its entire citizens and legally residing persons should essentially possess a validated social security card. It was focused on creating improvement in the legal foundation and its regulation of the mechanism responsible for the implementation of the public policies in social security aspects, which was exhibited by the developed countries with inclusion of USA also.

Social Security Office

Location of the social security office in the territory of United States:

In the United States, considering the necessity and observing respective guidelines for the creation of social security office originated from the Social Security Act promulgated in the year 1935, with the provision of providing pension compulsorily through pension related insurance for benefit to old persons and persons suffering physical disability, creation of medical assistance program used for needy children, elderly persons suffering disabilities; besides creating provisions for according financial assistance drawn from the federal budget for the use of children living in the low-income families or children of single parent or relatives; awarding financial assistance through the federal budget to help the blind persons, for persons having total and disabilities of permanent nature, the unemployment insurance, giving financial assistance to states looking after maternal and child health. All these services are administered through the regional social security office.

The statistics reveal that nearly 85% of the Americans are forming part of very large economic category referred to as the Middle class, to which the factory workers, stores managers including qualified professionals, are belonging to this very category. It is a very broad category including persons working in the teaching profession or healthcare worker. Do not forget about the Police officers, the farmers and sales people are forming part of middle class category. All the categories persons living in US have their data maintained by social security office.

At the top of the economic ladder are very wealthy persons and the bottom line is comprised of extremely poor persons. Considering the very large combined middle class and very poor class makes it quite difficult in making identification of the real face of poverty in USA. The social security office has very detailed and updated information of its entire population living in US.

The entire fifty states are linked to their regional social security office and are conducting their own assistance programs. The states are facing the dilemma of how to spread their programs in addition to the assistance programs run by federal government focused on the poor in the fields of:

Role of Social Security Office

1. The Medicare Benefits: Like offering free medical caring and hospitalized services as per directions of social security office.

2. The Social Security Benefits: This is requiring paying of fixed sum allocated by the State to persons with income not sufficient for meting their basic necessities like: food necessities, shelter to live and clothing to wear every month. The report of which is furnished to social security office.

3. The School Meals Program: Provision of free meals including the breakfast and lunch provision to schoolchildren the records of which are maintained by social security office.

4. The Grocery Coupons: The coupons bound in small book form are provided for purchasing of products for the poor in any store.

In all the above activities social security office has a regulatory role to play.