SSI marks 50th anniversary

WASHINGTON – This year, the Social Security Administration celebrates 50 years of administering the Supplemental Security Income program. President Richard Nixon signed the bill in 1972, and in January 1974, SSA began issuing the first SSI payments to nearly 4 million eligible people. The goal of the SSI program was to aid aged, blind, and individuals with disabilities with very limited income and resources.

Fifty years later, the SSI program remains a lifeline by providing cash assistance to about 2% of the U.S. population, approximately 7.5 million people, with limited income and resources,...