The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, commonly known as Social Security, is the most well-known of these programs. SSA is also responsible for carrying out two cash assistance programs for certain groups of low-income individuals: (1) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled and (2) Special Benefits for Certain World War II Veterans. Administrative costs as a share of benefit payments are projected to be 1.3% in FY2017. FY2017 Budget Request and Appropriations for SSA

Although benefit payments for SSA's programs are considered mandatory spending and thus are not controlled by the annual appropriations process, the agency requires annual discretionary appropriations to carry out its programs and to support the administration of non-SSA programs, such as Medicare, and other priorities. SSA's accounts are traditionally funded through the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. Mandatory Funding Provided Through the Annual Appropriations Process

For FY2017, the President's budget request included $11.4 million in payments to the Social Security trust funds that are provided through the annual appropriations process. In addition to funding benefit payments, the SSI appropriation provides for the program's administrative expenses, beneficiary services, and research and demonstration project-related costs. Limitation on Administrative Expenses

The appropriation for the LAE account funds SSA's administrative costs associated with OASI, SSDI, SSI, and Special Benefits for Certain World War II Veterans as well as costs incurred by the agency to support Medicare and other non-SSA programs. The FY2017 President's budget request for SSA's LAE account was $13.067 billion, which is $905 million (or 7.4%) more than the amount enacted for FY2016. Program Integrity Activities

The FY2017 President's budget request included $1.819 billion for costs associated with SSA's program integrity activities, which include continuing disability reviews (CDRs) and SSI redeterminations. FY2017 Continuing Resolutions

On September 29, 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act ( H.R. 5325 ; P.L. 114-223 ), which contained the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (Division C). The first FY2017 continuing resolution (CR) provided continuing appropriations for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills (including the LHHS appropriations bill) through December 9, 2016. However, funding dedicated to SSA's program integrity work was exempt from the ATB rescission. On December 10, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 ( H.R. 2028 ; P.L. 114-254 ). The second FY2017 CR provided continuing appropriations for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills (including the LHHS appropriations bill) through April 28, 2017. On April 28, 2017, President Trump signed into law a third FY2017 CR ( H.J.Res. 99 ; P.L. 115-30 ). The short-term CR continued funding under the terms of the previous CR through May 5, 2017. FY2017 Omnibus

On May 5, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 ( H.R. 244 ; P.L. 115-31 ). $1.819 billion of the LAE appropriation is for program integrity activities, which is composed of $273 million in base funding and $1.546 billion in cap adjustment funding. General LAE funding refers to LAE funding not dedicated to program integrity work, that is, the base LAE appropriation and funding from user fees paid to SSA for certain administrative activities. According to SSA and others, the declining real value of the general LAE appropriation has contributed to agency delays in processing other workloads. One of the most publicized issues for SSA over the past several years has been the growing number of pending disability cases at the hearing level of the administrative appeals process.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is responsible for administering a number of federal entitlement programs that provide income support (cash benefits) to qualified individuals. These programs are
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI), commonly known as Social Security; Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled; and Special Benefits for Certain World War II Veterans.
In FY2017, SSA's programs are projected to pay a combined $1 trillion in federal benefits to an estimated 68.4 million individuals. The cost to administer these programs is projected to be about 1.3% of benefit outlays.
Although benefit payments for SSA's programs are considered mandatory spending and thus are not controlled by the annual appropriations process, the agency requires annual discretionary appropriations to carry out its programs and to support the administration of non-SSA programs, such as Medicare, as well as various other priorities. The annual appropriation for SSA's limitation on administrative expenses (LAE) account provides nearly all of the agency's administrative funding. The LAE account is composed of funds from the Social Security and Medicare trust funds for their share of administrative expenses, the general fund of the U.S. Treasury for SSI's share of administrative expenses, and user fees paid to SSA for certain administrative activities. Additional appropriations from Congress provide funding for SSI program costs, research and demonstration projects, SSA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and certain payments to the Social Security trust funds. SSA's accounts are traditionally funded through the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill.
The Obama Administration's FY2017 request for SSA's LAE account was $13.067 billion, which included $1.819 billion for program integrity activities such as continuing disability reviews (CDRs) and SSI nonmedical redeterminations. By comparison, the FY2016 appropriation for SSA's LAE account was $12.162 billion, with $1.426 billion dedicated to program integrity work.
On September 29, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act (H.R. 5325; P.L. 114-223), which contains the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (Division C). The first FY2017 continuing resolution (CR) provided continuing appropriations for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills (including the LHHS appropriations bill) through December 9, 2016.
On December 10, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 (H.R. 2028; P.L. 114-254). The second FY2017 CR provided continuing appropriations for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills (including the LHHS appropriations bill) through April 28, 2017. On April 28, 2017, President Trump signed into law a third FY2017 CR (H.J.Res. 99; P.L. 115-30). The short-term CR continued funding under the terms of the previous CR through May 5, 2017.
On May 5, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (H.R. 244; P.L. 115-31), which provides continued funding through the end of FY2017. The annualized funding level for the LAE account under the FY2017 omnibus is $12.482 billion, with $1.819 billion dedicated to program integrity work.
Over the past several years, Congress has increased the amount of funding provided to SSA for program integrity work. This increase has allowed the agency to process more CDRs and SSI redeterminations, resulting in additional net savings to the federal government. However, funding for non-program integrity work during this period has essentially remained flat in nominal (unadjusted) terms. According to SSA and others, recently enacted funding levels for non-program integrity work have contributed to agency delays in processing other workloads, such as pending disability cases at the hearing level of the administrative appeals process.