
The Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (spouses, children) and to survivors of insured workers. The OASDI is the official name for Social Security in the United States. The program was adopted in 1935 during the Great Depression, and in 2022, the average monthly benefit received by recipients was $1,657. The OASDI provides monthly payments based on a worker’s earnings during their working years. The Social Security Administration reports that 90% of individuals aged 65 and older receive social security benefits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) |
| Other Names | Social Security, Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) |
| Administered By | Social Security Administration (SSA) |
| Year Adopted | 1935 |
| Eligibility | Retired and/or disabled workers, their dependents (spouses, children), and survivors of insured workers |
| Benefit Amount | Based on worker's earnings during their working years |
| Average Monthly Benefit | $1,657 (as of 2022) |
| Benefit Frequency | Monthly payments |
| Funding Source | Tax collected through worker's contribution to Social Security |
| Reach | 90% of individuals aged 65 and older receive benefits |
| Income Limit | Applies to those under full retirement age |
| Spousal Benefits | Offset by the spouse's own Social Security retirement benefit |
| Taxation | Up to 85% of benefits may be subject to federal income tax depending on beneficiary's income, marital status, and filing status |
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What You'll Learn

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program is a federal insurance program that provides income support to retirees, disabled people, and their families. It is funded through payroll taxes and is commonly known as Social Security. OASDI is, in fact, the official name for Social Security in the United States. The program was adopted in 1935 during the Great Depression, and today, the vast majority (90%) of individuals aged 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.
OASDI provides monthly payments to eligible retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (spouses, children, and in some cases, divorced spouses), as well as to survivors of insured workers. The amount of these payments is based on the worker's earnings during their working life. For retirees, payments can start as early as age 62, with full retirement age depending on the individual's birth date; it is 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later. Those who wait until age 70 to begin collecting benefits receive higher, maximum benefits due to delayed retirement credits.
To qualify for retirement benefits, a worker must be fully insured, which means accumulating credits (also called quarters) of coverage. For disability benefits, workers must meet certain criteria, including being unable to participate in substantially gainful activity, and there are special rules for those with blindness or a prior period of disability. Survivors' benefits are payable to a worker's children, surviving spouses, and, in some cases, divorced parents, who take care of the deceased's child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving Social Security benefits.
OASDI is funded by taxes collected from workers' contributions to Social Security, which are then used to provide benefits and partially replace income for retirees, those who have lost income due to disability, and those whose spouse has died. The tax rate is 6.2% for employees and 12.4% for the self-employed. In 2019, approximately 176 million employees and self-employed workers contributed to the OASDI trust funds, with a total contribution of $944 billion.
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Monthly payments for retired/disabled workers and their dependents
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (including spouses and children), as well as survivors of insured workers. OASDI is the official name for Social Security in the United States. The program was adopted in 1935 during the Great Depression, and it provides monthly payments based on the worker's earnings during their working years. The average monthly benefit received by recipients in 2022 is $1,657. OASDI is funded by taxes collected through the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) for employees and the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA) for self-employed individuals. Employers match their employees' contributions, while self-employed workers pay an amount equal to the combined employer-employee contributions, with a special tax deduction to offset the higher rate.
Monthly payments are made to eligible retired or disabled workers, their spouses, and children. These payments are determined by the worker's earnings and contributions to Social Security during their working years. The Social Security Administration does not need to periodically request funding from Congress to pay out these benefits, as the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund provides automatic spending authority. This fund was established pursuant to the Social Security Act Amendments of 1939 and came into effect on January 1, 1940.
The monthly benefit amount varies depending on factors such as age, retirement status, and income. For example, a worker who has reached retirement age as defined by the Social Security Administration is entitled to receive an old-age insurance benefit for each month. Similarly, a spouse or divorced spouse of a worker entitled to old-age benefits may also receive a monthly benefit if they have attained retirement age. However, the spousal benefit is offset dollar-for-dollar by the amount of the spouse's own Social Security retirement benefit.
There are also provisions for individuals who have not yet reached retirement age. For instance, a worker who is 62 years old but has not yet reached retirement age may still be eligible for monthly benefits if they meet certain criteria. Additionally, a wife or divorced wife under the age of 62 who is not entitled to old-age or disability insurance benefits may be entitled to a monthly wife's insurance benefit if she meets specific conditions, such as having a primary insurance amount equal to or exceeding half of her husband's or former husband's primary insurance amount.
Overall, the OASDI program provides a vital safety net for retired and disabled workers and their dependents, ensuring they receive monthly payments to partially replace their income during retirement or periods of disability.
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No means test to qualify for benefits
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (spouses, children) and to survivors of insured workers. The OASDI is the official name for Social Security in the United States. There is no means test to qualify for benefits under the OASDI program. This means that eligibility for benefits is not dependent on an individual's income or assets. Instead, entitlement to benefits is based on other criteria, such as age, employment status, and contribution history.
The OASDI program provides monthly payments to beneficiaries, with the amount based on the worker's earnings during their working years. In 2022, the average monthly benefit received by recipients was $1,657. The program is funded through contributions made by employees and self-employed workers, as well as employers, under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). These contributions are credited to three trust funds: the Old-Age (retirement) and Survivors Insurance (OASI), the Disability Insurance (DI), and the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Funds.
While there is no means test for OASDI benefits, there is a limit on income earned from working that applies to individuals who have not yet reached the full retirement age. This means that individuals who continue to work past the age of 62 but have not yet reached full retirement age may have their benefits reduced if their earnings exceed a certain threshold. The retirement age for an individual is defined by section 416(l) of the US Code.
The OASDI program also provides benefits to survivors of insured workers, including spouses and children. To qualify for survivors' benefits, the deceased worker must have been "currently insured" at the time of death, which generally means having earned a certain number of quarters of coverage (QCs) in the preceding years. Survivors' benefits are typically paid to the surviving spouse and children if they meet certain criteria, such as being under a certain age or having a disability.
Overall, the OASDI program provides essential economic support to millions of individuals, with about 64 million people receiving benefits as of December 2019. The program helps to replace income for retired individuals and those who have lost their income due to a disability or the death of a spouse.
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Taxes allocated to three trust funds
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (spouses, children) and to survivors of insured workers. The OASDI is the official name for Social Security in the United States. The program was adopted in 1935 during the Great Depression, and in 2022, the average monthly benefit received by recipients was $1,657.
Taxes are allocated to three trust funds as part of the OASDI program: the Old-Age (retirement) and Survivors Insurance (OASI), the Disability Insurance (DI), and the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Funds. The OASDI program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which became an independent agency in 1995.
The OASI trust fund was created pursuant to section 201 of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1939 and came into effect on January 1, 1940. It provides automatic spending authority to pay monthly benefits to retired workers and their spouses and children, as well as survivors of deceased insured workers. The fund is required by law to invest any unused funds in interest-bearing Federal securities, with the interest earned also deposited into the trust fund.
The OASDI program is funded through payroll taxes or self-employment taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). In 2019, approximately 176 million employees and self-employed workers, along with employers, contributed $944 billion to the OASDI trust funds. In addition to the taxes on FICA- and SECA-covered earnings, OASI trust fund revenues include interest on trust fund securities, income from taxation of OASI and DI benefits, certain technical transfers, and gifts or bequests.
Revenue received from FICA and SECA payments is transferred to the US Treasury, and any excess revenue is used to purchase special interest-bearing Treasury bonds. These securities remain assets of the trust funds until they are needed to cover Social Security costs.
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Spousal benefits offset by own retirement benefit
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) is a federal insurance program that provides benefits to retired and/or disabled workers and their dependents (spouses, children) and to survivors of insured workers. The OASDI is the official name for Social Security in the United States. Social Security benefits are a crucial part of the retirement income for millions of Americans, including spouses.
Spouses and ex-spouses are generally eligible for up to half of their spouse's or ex-spouse's benefits. Widows and widowers can receive up to 100%. If you are collecting a survivor benefit but also qualify for your own retirement benefit, you may wish to collect the survivor benefit in the early years of retirement and leave your retirement benefits to accrue delayed retirement credits. You can then collect your own retirement benefit at age 70.
If you don't have enough Social Security credits to get benefits on your own work record, you can claim benefits based on your spouse's work history. You will automatically receive the larger amount. The most a spouse can get is 50% of the amount that the higher-earning partner is entitled to at full retirement age. If one partner has little or no earnings history, the best strategy is for the wage earner to postpone applying for Social Security retirement benefits until age 70 to get the highest amount possible. By delaying claiming benefits until age 70, the wage earner will accrue delayed retirement credits that will increase the monthly payments by a certain percentage for each year of delay.
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Frequently asked questions
The Federal Old-Age Insurance Law is a program that provides benefits to retired workers and their dependents, including spouses and children. It is officially called the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program.
The Federal Old-Age Insurance Law was first adopted in 1935 during the Great Depression. It has since undergone several amendments, including the Social Security Act Amendments of 1939, which established the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, and the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, which imposed additional requirements for determining insured status.
Retired workers aged 62 and above who have met the specified criteria are eligible for old-age insurance benefits. Their spouses and children may also be entitled to benefits if they meet certain conditions. There is no means test to qualify, but there is a limit on income earned for those below the full retirement age.
The benefits are funded through contributions made by employees and self-employed workers via payroll taxes or self-employment taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). These contributions are allocated to trust funds, including the Old-Age (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds.
The benefit payments vary depending on the individual's earnings during their working years. In 2022, the average monthly benefit received by recipients was $1,657. Up to 85% of Social Security benefits may be subject to federal income tax, depending on the beneficiary's income, marital status, and filing status.





































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