The Systems Story – Social Security
The documentary, The Systems Story, discusses the movement from punch cards, to magnetic tape, to discs and the computer-based automatic data processing that the Social Security Administration has adopted over the course of its lifetime.
Advancements of the Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration(SSA) oversees the records of each individual American. That is to say, they have hundreds of millions of records to keep up with.
Because of this, over the course of its history, the SSA has been on the leading edge of technological advancements within the United States.
Early in its history, the Social Security Administration had two main tasks that they needed to undertake:
- Assigning each American a Social Security number
In addition to:
- Developing a cost-effective way to process and store data
Furthermore, the documentary discusses the advancements of the SSA in the following ways:
- Alleviating Privacy Concerns
- Technology related to data processing and storage
- Advertising Strategies
- as well as Customer Service
Alleviating Privacy Concerns
The information that the Social Security Administration handles is incredibly personal. At the time, Americans wanted to ensure that their information was protected. So, in the 1930s, The Social Security Administration adopted Regulation #1: Protecting privacy and confidentiality. Furthermore, it was common for records to be protected by locked gates and uniformed guards. In other words, only certain personnel had access to records at any given time. Over time, privacy regulations have been updated to keep up with the technology that the SSA has at their disposal. Moreover, regulations are added or clarified to detail how data is stored, processed and transmitted.
Examples of updated regulations include:
- Section 1106 of the Social Security Act
- The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988
- E-Government Act of 2002.
SSA’s History of Data Processing Technology
In the 1930s/40s, Social Security used a paper punch-card system to process and manage the data of the millions of registered Americans.
Then, by the 1950s, the SSA was the first government office to use computer-based technology to manage data. In September 1955, they began the arduous process of converting over 100 million punch cards onto magnetic tape.
The conversion to these larger magnetic tape reels required the SSA to find a new location to house their offices. Therefore, in 1960 the SSA moved operations to a newly built office complex in Woodlawn, Maryland.
The SSA advanced their processing times again in 1966 by introducing optical scanners to review data records.
In the 1970s, a movement to help the poor led to the introduction of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which would also be managed by the SSA. Consequently, due to the increase in applications, the SSA needed to become more efficient in eligibility searches. so, they introduced new technology again by completing a modernization program to implement the internet into their search system. This move to include internet increased their online applications by 2,200%.
After that, by 1982, the records had surpassed over 2,000 reels of tape, which proved to be an issue, as records needed to be updated every day. This pushed the SSA to convert files to disc and internet applications to help process data faster and more efficiently, while still maintaining reasonable costs in order to do so.
Other advancements that the SSA has seen over the years:
- The ability to search for files based on voice recognition
- As well as, allowing customers to use the internet to obtain or request information
Advertising Strategies
To get the word out about Social Security and how it works, the SSA has developed adverting campaigns to fit the decade. Here is a quick recap of how they have progressed over the years for example:
- Poster & Newspaper Campaigns
- Direct Mailers to individuals via the U.S. Postal Service
- Comic Book Series explaining Social Security
- Radio Programs and Commercials
- Television Commercials and Programs (including cartoons)
- and, above all, their Online Website
Customer Service
Customer Service has been a top concern for the SSA over the years. Therefore, the SSA has made advancements in the ways people can get in contact with them. For instance:
- Physical Mailing Address
- Call centers (including a 1-800 number)
- as well as allowing internet based requests on their website
Key Facts About the History of Social Security
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law when the 74th congress passed the bill with an overwhelming non-partisan vote in the 1930s.
- The Social Security Act was signed into law to help working men and women in the United States. Similarly, the Act would also help to safeguard children.
- Social Security caused the mass registration of some-26 million Americans in the mid-1930s.
- When the Social Security Act was first designed, it was explained that starting on January 1, 1937 – employees and employers must contribute equal payment amounts into the Old Age Retirement Reserve Account in order to guarantee income for life for each American after the age of 65. As a result, Social Security checks ranged from $10 up to $85 per month.
- Furthermore, the first Social Security check was issued on January 1940 to Ida Mae Fuller in the amount of $22.54
Contact The Social Security Administration
You can contact the SSA in the following ways:
SSA Mailing Address:
- Social Security Administration
Office of Public Inquiries and Communications Support
1100 West High Rise
6401 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235
SSA Phone Number:
- Toll-free at 1-800-772-1213
- TTY 1-800-325-0778
Email:
- Send the SSA a secure email by visiting: https://secure.ssa.gov/emailus/
In Person :
- Find your local Social Security office here: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
Want to learn more about Social Security, SSDI and SSI benefits? Read our article here.
Kate writes about retirement benefits for retirementinsurance.org. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW). She has over a decade of experience in assisting elderly and disabled populations navigate governmental and private programs to obtain the monetary assistance they need to lead better lives. As she watched her parents begin their own retirement journeys and navigate similar systems to obtain Social Security, Medicare and other retirement benefits, she gleaned a further personal knowledge about the topic and is eager to share what she has learned with others.