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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Conference Report to accompany H.R.
1), as passed by the House of Representatives and Senate provides over $1 billion in
supplemental appropriations to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and provides for a one-
time $250 payment to all SSI recipients and adult Social Security beneficiaries.
Of the over $1 billion appropriated to the SSA for administrative functions, $500 million is to
replace the agency’s National Computer Center and $500 million is to be spent by the agency on
the processing of Social Security retirement and disability cases with up to $40 million of this
amount available for health information technology research and activities. In addition, the SSA
Inspector General (IG) is appropriated $2 million to provide audit and oversight over SSA
activities funded by the act.
Every SSI recipient and adult Social Security beneficiary will receive a one-time economic
recovery payment $250 under this act. The SSA is appropriated $90 million to assist the
Department of the Treasury with the administration of these payments.
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Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Supplemental Appropriations to the SSA for Administrative Functions ......................................... 1
Total Funding ............................................................................................................................ 1
One-Time Payment to SSI Recipients and Social Security Beneficiaries ....................................... 4
Eligibility for One-Time Payments ........................................................................................... 5
One-Time Payment Amounts .................................................................................................... 7
Residency Requirement ............................................................................................................ 7
Limited Applicability to Retroactive Benefits .......................................................................... 8
Assignment and Offset of Benefits ........................................................................................... 8
Treatment of One-Time Payments by Other Means-Tested Programs and for the
Purposes of Taxation .............................................................................................................. 9
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Table 1. Summary of Supplemental Appropriations to the SSA for Administrative
Functions in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009......................................... 2
Table 2. Summary of One-Time Payments to SSI Recipients and Social Security
Beneficiaries in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ................................... 5
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Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 10
Key Policy Staff ............................................................................................................................ 10
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On February 13, 2009, the House of Representative and Senate agreed to the Conference Report
to Accompany H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.” The House of
Representatives had passed its version of H.R. 1 on January 28, 2009, and the Senate passed its
version on February 10, 2009. The Conference Report, as agreed to by the House of
Representatives and the Senate, makes supplemental appropriations to the Social Security
Administration (SSA) and provides for a one-time economic recovery payment of $250 to all
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, all adult Social Security beneficiaries, all adult
Railroad Retirement and disability beneficiaries, and all veterans compensation and pension
beneficiaries.1
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides over $1 billion to the SSA for administrative functions. These supplemental
appropriations are made to the SSA’s Limitation on Administrative Expenses (LAE) account and
to the SSA Inspector General (IG).2 H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, includes
supplemental appropriations to the SSA of $902 million. H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, includes
$983 million in supplemental appropriations to the SSA.
Table 1 and the sections that follow provide additional detail on these supplemental
appropriations.
1 This report focuses only on payments to SSI recipients and Social Security beneficiaries.
2 For additional information on the administrative budget of the SSA, see CRS Report RS22677, Social Security
Administration: Administrative Budget Issues, by Kathleen Romig.
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Table 1. Summary of Supplemental Appropriations to the SSA for Administrative
Functions in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(in millions of dollars)
Conference Report to
Accompany H.R. 1, as
agreed to by the House H.R. 1, as passed by the
of Representatives and
House of
H.R. 1, as passed by the
Activity
Senate
Representatives
Senate
New SSA National
Computer Center
500
400
750a
Processing of
Retirement and
Disability Workloads
500
500
—
Health Information
Technology Research
and Activities
—b
—c 140
SSA IG
2
2
3
Administrative Costs
Associated with One-
Time Payments
90
—d 90
Total 1,092
902
983
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS).
a. H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, proposes that money appropriated, but not used, for the construction of
the new SSA National Computer Center may be used for health information technology research and
activities.
b. The Conference Report provides that up to $40 million of the $500 million appropriated for the processing
of retirement and disability workloads may be used for health information technology research and
activities.
c. H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, proposes that up to $40 million of the $500 million
appropriated for the processing of retirement and disability workloads may be used for health information
technology research and activities.
d. Section 2102(d) of H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, proposes an appropriation for “such
sums as may be necessary to carry out this section” rather than a specific appropriation to the SSA for the
purposes of administering the one-time emergency SSI payment.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides $500 million for the replacement of the SSA’s National Computer Center and the
information technology costs associated with this center.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides $400 million for construction and
other costs associated with establishing a new National Computer Center for the SSA.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, provides $750 million for a new SSA National Computer Center.
The Senate version permits the SSA to use any balance of funds not needed for the new National
Computer Center for health information technology research and activities.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides $500 million to the SSA for the processing of Social Security retirement and
disability workloads.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides $500 million for the processing of
Social Security retirement and disability workloads.
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The Senate version does not provide any funding for the processing of Social Security retirement
and disability workloads.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides that up to $40 million of the $500 million appropriated to the SSA for the
purpose of processing retirement and disability workloads may be spent by the SSA on health
information technology research and activities, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
cooperative research and demonstration projects, to facilitate the use of electronic medical
records for disability claims
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides that the SSA may use up to $40
million of the $500 million appropriated for the processing of retirement and disability workloads
for health information technology research and activities
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H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, provides a $140 million appropriation to the SSA for health
information technology research and activities.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, appropriates $2 million for the SSA Inspector General (IG). This funding is to remain
available until September 30, 2012, and is to be used by the SSA IG to audit and provide
oversight of SSA activities funded as part of the act.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides $2 million for the SSA IG.
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The Senate bill provides $3 million for the SSA IG.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides for a one-time economic recovery payment of $250 to all SSI recipients and
adult Social Security retirement and disability beneficiaries.3 This payment will be made by the
Department of the Treasury at the “earliest practicable date,” but not more than 120 days after
enactment of the act.
H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides a one-time emergency payment to be
made to all SSI recipients.
H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, provides a one-time economic recovery payment of $300 to all
SSI recipients and adult Social Security beneficiaries.
Table 2 and the sections that follow provide additional details on the one-time economic recovery
payments to SSI recipients and adult Social Security beneficiaries.
3 These economic recovery payments will also be made to adult Railroad Retirement and disability beneficiaries and
veterans compensation and pension beneficiaries.
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Table 2. Summary of One-Time Payments to SSI Recipients and Social Security
Beneficiaries in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Conference Report to
accompany H.R. 1, as
agreed to by the House H.R. 1, as passed by the
of Representatives and
House of
H.R. 1, as passed by the
Provision
Senate
Representatives
Senate
Eligibility
All SSI recipients, adult
All SSI recipients
All SSI recipients, adult
Social Security
Social Security
beneficiaries, and child
beneficiaries, and child
Social Security beneficiaries
Social Security beneficiaries
with disabilities that began
with disabilities that began
before age 22
before age 22
Amount of payment
$250
Equal to the average of all
$300
federal SSI payments paid
to individuals and couples
in the aggregate in the
month prior to the month
of the payment
Period after receipt that 9 months
6 months
9 months
payment is exempt from
means-tested program
resource limits
Residency requirement
United States and
None
United States and
territories
territories
Deadline for applicability December 31, 2010
December 31, 2009
December 31, 2010
to retroactive benefits
Supplemental
$90 million
None
$90 million
appropriation to the
SSA for administrative
costs associated with
payments
Payment administration Department of the
SSA
Department of the
Treasury
Treasury
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS).
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In order to be eligible for the one-time economic recovery payment provided by the Conference
Report, a person must fall into one of the following categories:
1. The person must have been entitled to a cash benefit, other than a personal needs
allowance, under the SSI program for at least one month during the three month
period that ends with the month prior to the month in which the act containing
the provision is enacted;
2. The person must have been entitled to one of the following types of Social
Security benefits for at least one month during the three month period that ends
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with the month prior to the month in which the act containing the provision is
enacted:
• Old-age (retirement) benefits;
• Disability insurance (SSDI) benefits;4
• Husband’s or Wife’s insurance benefits;
• Child’s insurance benefits based on a disability that began before the age of
22;
• Widow’s or Widower’s insurance benefits;5
• Mother’s, Father’s, and Parent’s insurance benefits;
• Benefits based on transitional insured status as provided by Section 227 of
the Social Security Act; or
• Benefits for certain uninsured persons age 72 or older as provided by Section
228 of the Social Security Act.
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No person may receive a recovery payment if his or her SSI or Social Security benefits are
suspended because of his or her status as a prisoner, public institution inmate, parole or probation
violator, fugitive, or illegal alien or if his or her benefits have been suspended because of fraud.
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In order to be eligible for the emergency SSI payment provided by the House of Representatives
version of H.R. 1, a person must fall into one of the following two categories:
1. The person must be entitled to a cash benefit, other than a personal needs
allowance, under the SSI program for at least one day during the month in which
the emergency payment is made;6 or
2. The person must have been entitled to a cash benefit, other than a personal needs
allowance, under the SSI program for at least one day in the two-month period
prior to the month in which the emergency payment is made; and the person’s
eligibility for SSI must have ended during that two-month period solely because
he or she exceeded the SSI income limits.
4 For additional information on SSDI benefits see CRS Report RL32279, Primer on Disability Benefits: Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
5 For additional information on Social Security Widow’s or Widower’s benefits see CRS Report RS22294, Social
Security Survivors Benefits, by Kathleen Romig and Scott Szymendera.
6 A person living in a Medicaid-funded facility is not eligible for full SSI benefits but may receive a personal needs
allowance of $30 per month. The amount of the personal needs allowance is set by Section 1611(e)(1)(B) of the Social
Security Act [42 U.S.C. § 1382(e)(1)(B)] and is not subject to an annual cost of living adjustment. For additional
information on the SSI program see CRS Report RL32279, Primer on Disability Benefits: Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), by Scott Szymendera.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the Senate, contains eligibility requirements that are the same as those in the
Conference Report.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides a $250 economic recovery payment to all eligible persons. No person may
receive more than one payment, even if he or she is eligible under multiple categories.
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For an individual eligible for SSI benefits, the amount of the emergency SSI payment provided by
H.R. 1 would be equal to the average amount of federal SSI benefits paid in the aggregate to
individuals in the most recent month in which data are available.
For an individual eligible for SSI benefits who has an eligible spouse, the amount of the
emergency SSI payment provided by H.R. 1 would be equal to the average amount of federal SSI
benefits paid in the aggregate to individuals with eligible spouses in the most recent month in
which data are available.
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The Senate version of H.R. 1 provides a $300 payment to all eligible persons and prohibits any
person from receiving more than one payment.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, requires that in order to receive an economic recovery payment, a person must be a
resident of the United States or its territories.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives does not contain a residency requirement for
receipt of the one-time emergency SSI payment. However, only residents of the 50 states, the
District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible for SSI
benefits.
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The Senate version of H.R. 1 requires that in order to receive the economic recovery payment a
person must be a resident of the United States or its territories.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, limits the eligibility of SSI recipients and Social Security beneficiaries who are awarded
benefits after the date of the recovery payment but who are eligible for benefits retroactive to the
three-month period before the enactment of the act. No recovery payment may be made for any
reason after December 31, 2010, thus limiting eligibility to those who are awarded SSI or Social
Security benefits before that date.
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H.R. 1 limits the eligibility of SSI recipients who are awarded benefits after the date of the
emergency payment but who are eligible for benefits retroactive to the month of the emergency
payment. Only persons who are determined by the Commissioner of Social Security in calendar
year 2009 to fall into one of the categories described above are eligible for the emergency
payment. Thus, a person who is awarded SSI benefits anytime after 2009 would not be eligible
for the emergency SSI payment, even if he or she is awarded benefits retroactive to a date before
the date of the emergency payment.
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The Senate version of H.R. 1 contains the same retroactivity provision as the Conference Report.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides that the non-assignment clause of the Social Security Act applies to economic
recovery payments. 7 Economic recovery payments may, however, be subject to an offset to
collect delinquent debts owed to the United States government.
The amount of a person’s “Making Work Pay” tax credit provided by Section 1001 of Division B
of the Conference Report would be reduced by the value of any economic recovery payment he or
she receives.
7 Sections 207 and 1631(d)(1) of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. §§ 407 and 1383(d)(1)]. With limited exception,
benefits paid under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act may not be subject to assignment, attachment,
garnishment, levy or any other legal process.
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H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, provides that the non-assignment clause of the
Social Security Act would apply to emergency SSI payments. The House of Representatives bill
did not specify whether or not the emergency SSI payment may be subject to an offset to collect
debts owed to the United States government.
H.R. 1 allows the Commissioner of Social Security to withhold some or all of the emergency SSI
payment to recover an SSI overpayment. However, under this provision, the amount of the
emergency payment would not be considered for the purposes of determining if a person has
received an underpayment of SSI benefits.
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The Senate version of H.R. 1 contains the same assignment and offset provisions as the
Conference Report.
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The Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1, as agreed to by the House of Representatives and
Senate, provides that the amount of the economic recovery payment may not be treated as
income, or for the month of receipt and the following nine months as a resource, for the purposes
of determining an individual’s eligibility or the eligibility of his or her family for or the amount of
benefits or assistance from any federal program or any state or local government program funded
entirely or in part with federal funds. The economic recovery payment is not considered income
for the purposes of taxation.8
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H.R. 1 provides that the amount of the emergency SSI payment may not be treated as income, or
for the month of receipt and the following six months as a resource, for the purposes of
determining an individual’s eligibility for or the amount of benefits or assistance from any federal
program or any state or local government program funded entirely or in part with federal funds.
H.R. 1, as passed by the House of Representatives, did not specify whether or not the one-time
emergency SSI payment is to be treated as income for the purposes of taxation. SSI benefits are
generally not taxed as income.
8 For additional information on the taxation of Social Security benefits see CRS Report RL32552, Social Security:
Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits, by Janemarie Mulvey and Christine Scott.
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The Senate version of H.R. 1 contains the same provisions regarding the treatment of economic
recovery payments as the Conference Report.
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Scott Szymendera
Analyst in Disability Policy
sszymendera@crs.loc.gov, 7-0014
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Area of Expertise
Name
Phone E-mail
Proposed supplemental appropriations Scott Szymendera
x7-0014 sszymendera@crs.loc.gov
to the SSA and proposed one-time
payment to SSI recipients and Social
Security beneficiaries
Health information technology
C. Stephen Redhead
x7-2261 credhead@crs.loc.gov
research and activities
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