A Unique Source of Authoritative Information about
Administrative Enforcement by Federal Agencies

Admin Enforcement

For more than 75 years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) at one point of point or another has touched the lives of almost all Americans — after the loss of a loved one, during the transition from work to retirement and at the onset of disabilities. The various specific SSA programs to deal with these broad situations have been approved and amended over the years by Congress with the twin goals of providing a safety net for the public and contributing to the financial security of the elderly and the disabled. In testimony to a Senate Appropriations subcommittee in March 2011, Commissioner Michael J. Astrue — the head of the Social Security Administration — said that the SSA was managing the distribution each month of more than $60 billion in benefits to almost 60 million individuals.

The commissioner outlined the incredible scope of this overall effort, reporting that in FY 2010 the SSA had served 45.4 million field office visitors through a network of 1,500 locations around the United States, completed 67 million transactions over the telephone, verified over 1 billion Social Security numbers, issued 17.2 million new and replacement Social Security cards and mailed out 152 million Social Security statements.

But in addition:

  • The vast SSA operation completed 3.2 million initial disability claims and 2.5 million Supplemental Security Income (SSI) non-disability payments.
  • The agency also investigates fraud and abuse in the social security system and refers cases to federal prosecutors for criminal prosecution.

Access to data on both these topics is provided in the menu at the left. Support for this new area was provided by Syracuse University, the Park Foundation and the Rockefeller Family Fund.


Copyright 2011 TRAC Reports, Inc.