THIS MONTH IN SOCIAL SECURITY HISTORY

February 14, 1936 The Social Security Board approved twelve regional areas and twelve regional offices for its field office setup.

February 8, 1937 The First Annual Report of the Social Security Board submitted to Congress.

February 27, 1937 The first claims under Title II of the Social Security Act were adjudicated and forwarded to the Social Security Board on February 27. The first claims were actually paid in March.

February 13, 1940 An Appeals Council, consisting of three members, was appointed by the Social Security Board to direct and supervise the holding of hearings on claims for old-age and survivors insurance benefits and to review decisions of referees, subject to review by the courts. Joseph McElvain was appointed the director. The staff of the Appeals Council included a Consulting Referee for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance program as a whole and a Hearing Referee for each of the twelve regions.

February 20, 1947 Arthur J. Altmeyer was elected Executive Secretary of the Reparatory Commission for the International Refugee Organization.

February 2, 1953 President Eisenhower, in his State of the Union Message, recommended that the "old-age and survivors insurance law should promptly be extended to cover millions of citizens who have been left out of the Social Security system."

February 1955 By this date, old-age and survivors insurance beneficiaries numbered seven million.

February 27, 1956 SSA's new electronic computer system, an IBM 705, began operation in the Candler Building under the watchful eyes of technicians from IBM. The first computer application consisted of posting earnings records, benefit computations and reinstating incorrectly reported earnings.

February 3, 1967 With the mailing of the benefit checks, the Social Security Administration became the first large Federal agency to implement mass ZIP code mailing.

February 1972 The Bureau of Data Processing announced it would be issuing new Social Security cards and mailing them directly from central office, thereby shifting issuance from the field to the central office.

February 1982 SSA's Systems Modernization Plan is published.

February 9, 1996 First meeting of the new Social Security Advisory Board was held in Baltimore. Among their other activities, the Board members took a tour of the SSA History Room.

February 11, 1997 SSA's proposed final regulations for cycling of benefit payments were published.

February 15, 2000 SSA launched its Electronic Newsletter (e-News) through which visitors are able to subscribe to Social Security e-news, a monthly electronic newsletter providing brief items on the latest Social Security information of public interest.

February 5, 2002 James B. Lockhart, IIII, formally sworn-in to be Deputy Commissioner of Social Security.

February 5, 2002 The "Ticket to Work" program was officially launched in the first 13 States (it is expected to be in operation nationwide by January 2002).