Understanding The Social Security Administration

The wide-ranging program of retirement benefits as is provided for United States citizens in the form of the Social Security program is under the control of the Social Security Administration. Social Security Admin functions are provided through the federal government in particular and are further noted as being placed outside of the oversight of a larger department in the executive branch of the U.S. government.

As with other independent areas of the federal government, the powers and responsibilities of the US Social Security Administration are provided for through an act of Congress, as in this case is the specific legislative package of the Social Security Act, as was passed in 1935 and signed into effect by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Moreover, the laws under which Social Security Admin is carried out are spelled out in the language contained of Title 42. Chapter 7, Section 901 of the United States Code gives the Social Security Administration power over this program.

As of 2010, the US Social Security Administration was under the oversight of Commissioner Michael J. Astrue. In that same period, the Social Security Administration workforce consisted of 62,000 employees. Moreover, the estimated budget of the Social Security Admin governmental functions was announced to amount to $657 billion.

The main US Social Security Administration offices are centered out of Woodlawn, Maryland, which is located near Baltimore. The Social Security Administration further includes 10 overall regional offices, with authority, in all, over up to around 1300 offices located around the country.

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