Timeline of Key Events in the History of Social Security

Key Moments in the History of Social Security

A look back at the evolution of this vital government program that dates back to 1935

FPG/Bradley C Bower/AP Photo/Getty Social Security was born 87 years ago this Sunday, in 1935, and over the subsequent decades it has matured into a vital source of income for retired and , their and their . Today, the program pays benefits to more than 70 million Americans. Here's a timeline of significant events in the history of Social Security.

Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. of Aug. 14, 1935: President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Jan. 1, 1937: First Social Security benefits paid out in the form of one-time, lump-sum payments. of L- stack of Social Security applications, R- Ida M. Fuller, first Social Security monthly beneficiary Aug. 10, 1939: Program broadened to include benefits for workers’ dependents and survivors. Jan. 31, 1940: Ida M. Fuller became the first person to receive a monthly benefit. Her first check was for $22.54, the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $420.15 today. Fuller lived to the age of 100. October 1950: Congress authorized the first cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), an increase of 77 percent. of Aug. 1, 1956: Social Security Act amended to provide benefits to disabled workers ages 50-64 and disabled adult children. September 1960: President Eisenhower signed a law amending the disability rules to permit payment of benefits to disabled workers of any age and to their dependents. June 30, 1961: All workers now allowed to take at age 62, albeit at a reduced Social Security benefit. Previously benefits could not be claimed until the normal retirement age (NRA) of 65. of Oct. 30, 1972: Congress established (SSI), a national benefit program administered by Social Security that provides monthly cash payments to older, blind and disabled people with very low incomes and limited assets. July 1975: First annual automatic COLA, an 8 percent increase, was paid. Before 1975, each COLA required authorization by Congress. July 1980: Beneficiaries received the highest annual COLA increase ever — 14.3 percent. The inflation rate in 1980 was 12.5 percent. of April 20, 1983: President Ronald Reagan signed into law sweeping changes to Social Security, based on recommendations of the National Commission on Social Security Reform (also known as the Greenspan Commission) aimed at shoring up the program's shaky financial footing. These included increasing the payroll taxes that fund Social Security; gradually to 67; and making 50 percent of Social Security benefits for recipients with incomes above $25,000 for an individual and $32,000 for married couples filing jointly. Oct. 1, 1988: A nationwide toll-free number was implemented for people to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA). Aug. 10, 1993: President Bill Clinton signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, a massive package of tax increases and spending cuts that included a provision raising the share of Social Security benefits subject to income tax from 50 percent to 85 percent for beneficiaries with incomes above $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (couple). of May 17, 1994: The was launched. Oct. 1, 1999: Annual mailings of Social Security Statements began. About 125 million statements, showing workers’ earnings and projected benefits, were sent to all workers ages 25 and older. April 7, 2000: The Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act of 2000 was signed into law, eliminating the Retirement Earnings Test (RET) for those beneficiaries at or above NRA. (The RET still applies to those beneficiaries below NRA.) The RET was an original feature of the Social Security Act. of Feb. 12, 2008: Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, the first boomer to apply for Social Security retirement benefits, received her first monthly benefit payment. May 1, 2012: The Social Security Statement became available online after most paper statements stopped being mailed out in 2011. Today, paper statements are automatically mailed only to workers 60 and over who are not yet collecting benefits and who have not set up an online . of March 17, 2020: Social Security field offices shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several months later they began offering in-person appointments in rare, "dire need" situations, but most services are offered only online or by phone. April 7, 2022: Field offices after more than two years of pandemic restrictions. June 2, 2022: The projected that the two trust funds from which benefits are paid would run short in 2035, after which only about 80 percent of benefits could be paid. Editor's note: This article was originally published Aug. 13, 2020. It has been updated with additional events.

Also of Interest

Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.