Social Security Administration

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability and survivor benefits. The Social Security Administration was established by the Social Security Act of 1935 and is codified in 42 U.S.C. § 901 (49 Stat. 635). It was created in 1935 as the "Social Security Board", then assumed its present name in 1946. Its current leader is Commissioner Frank Bisignano. SSA delivers its programs and services online, by phone, by video, and in person through a network of more than 1,500 offices nationwide, including over 1,200 field offices. The agency also provides service through its National 800 Number. Field offices, which historically serve tens of millions of visitors annually, were reopened on April 7, 2022, following pandemic-related closures. SSA is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, just to the west of Baltimore, at its Central Office campus. As of 2026, SSA employed approximately 50,000 Federal employees and funded about 13,700 State DDS employees. Headquarters non-supervisory employees of SSA are represented by American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923. SSA administers the Nation’s largest Federal social insurance programs. In FY 2027, SSA will pay approximately $1.83 trillion in Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), Disability Insurance (DI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Federal SSI payments are estimated at $69.7 billion. To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need. SSA also maintains more than 300 million active Social Security numbers, serving as the Nation’s primary personal identifier.