Social Security Administration (SSA), an independent agency of the United States government, administers the nation’s Social Security program. This program provides retirement, disability, and death benefits for 9 out of 10 working Americans and their families. Under the plan, retired or disabled workers or their dependents or survivors receive monthly cash payments. The SSA administers the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which guarantees an annual income to needy people who are 65 or over, blind, or disabled. The Social Security program, created in 1935, began paying benefits in 1940.
The Social Security Administration became an independent federal agency in 1995. Before then, it had been part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. See also Social security .
