By Doreen Benson

The Nation’s need for a comprehensive plan to address the financial challenges of death, disability, and old age became increasingly apparent during the economic upheaval of the Great Depression. Family life changed dramatically as we moved away from our historic agricultural roots toward a more industrial and urban economy. The economic safety net of the family farm was quickly disappearing.

By executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Committee on Economic Security was formed to study the problem of providing economic security to a changing America. Just over a year later, the Social Security Act XE "Social Security Act"  was signed into law on August 14, 1935. The first Social Security number was assigned in December of 1936, and the first FICA (the well-known acronym for the "Federal Insurance Contributions Act" ) taxes were withheld from worker’s paychecks in January 1937. Originally, Social Security covered only the contingency of retirement.

Social Security coverage was expanded in 1939 to include dependents and survivors of workers. Payments of monthly benefits began in January 1940. Social Security was expanded once again in 1960 to include disabled workers and their families. Basic health insurance for senior citizens, called MEDICARE , was signed into law in 1965.

Notwithstanding recent criticism that Social Security is insolvent and outdated, it endures as one of this county’s most successful and essential government programs. Recent projections indicate that even without any changes to the program it will remain financially solvent for at least the next three decades.

However, change is inevitable. As it has in the past, Social Security will adjust to changing economic, demographic, and political conditions and continue to meet the needs of current and future generations of American workers.

If you work long enough and meet the earnings requirements discussed in this chapter, you will be eligible for monthly Social Security retirement benefits when you retire. The amount of your benefit is based on your earnings record. You may also be entitled to benefits based on your late spouse’s earnings. Our focus will be on this aspect, called survivor benefits.

The Social Security benefits available to disabled workers and their families are beyond the scope of this chapter and therefore are not covered. Several other government entitlement programs related to Social Security, namely Medicare, Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income, are covered later in this chapter.