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Social Security Administration (SSA) Annual Data for
Spoken Language Preferences
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Blind & Disabled Initial Claims

Social Security temporarily removed the data to reconcile it against our source files.

Background

The goal of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is to improve core services provided to the public and provide alternative methods for conducting business with the agency. In support of this goal, SSA is committed to providing equal access to services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. The above datasets provide yearly volumes for spoken language preferences at the national level of individuals applying for SSI Blind & Disabled benefits.

Dataset Index

Agency Program Description

SSA administers the means-tested Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a nationwide federal assistance program that guarantees a minimum level of income. We pay SSI benefits to help aged (age 65 or older), blind, and disabled people, who have limited income, limited resources, and are U. S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens. An initial claim is the initial request or application submitted by an individual.

For more information about the SSI program, go to: Supplemental Security Income Homepage.

The process for determining whether or not a claimant is disabled is complex. Depending upon a particular claim SSA might evaluate among other factors medical evidence establishing a disabling condition, medical and vocational evidence determining the capacity for work that might remain, the availability of possibly suitable employment, and severity and length of disability. For SSA purposes a claimant is either found disabled or not disabled as SSA awards disability benefits only for long term disability and not for partial or temporary disability. A description of SSA's disability programs can be found at: Benefits for People with Disabilities.

SSA administers two different programs which pay disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The disability standard for SSDI and SSI benefits are the same except for issues of blindness and for SSI Disabled Child benefits (SSI DC).

Eligibility for disability benefits for both programs administered by SSA have two sets of eligibility criteria, namely disability and non-disability criteria. A favorable finding is required for both disability and non-disability criteria in order for benefits to be awarded.

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Data Collection Description

SSA collects language preference data when members of the public contact us to apply for Social Security and Medicare benefits and services. We use our electronic systems to capture this information. The Social Security Unified Measurement System (SUMS) provides work measurement data for all workloads processed throughout SSA. SUMS Counts Demographics Data (SCDD) is the data source for SSA's LEP reports. SCDD is populated by associating the agency's SUMS workload data with demographics data, which is housed in the SUMS client tables and is sourced by the Integrated Client Data Base. Demographics data includes spoken language, written language, age range, and gender.

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Notes

  • A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period from October 1st through September 30th. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff. Fiscal Year 2016 is a 53 week year for our workload reports.
  • We provide both sets of data for 2016 since the 52 week data may be more appropriate for comparing 2016 to prior years that were 52 week reporting periods. This would be particularly relevant for looking at receipts and clearances, for example. The 53 week data may be more relevant for viewing the end of year status of workloads, especially pending cases and it represents the efforts achieved with the entire year's resources.

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Data Dictionary - Fiscal Years 2016 Onward

Spoken Language: Language preference of the claimant for oral communication.

Fiscal Year (FY): Receipt counts for each FY beginning with 2016.

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Data Dictionary - Fiscal Year 2016 (including the 53rd week)

Spoken Language: Language preference of the claimant for oral communication.

Receipt Count (excluding 53rd week): Receipt counts for FY 2016 based on a 52 week reporting period.

Receipt Count (including 53rd week): Receipt counts for FY 2016 based on a 53 week reporting period.

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Data Dictionary - Fiscal Years 2011 - 2015

Spoken Language: Language preference of the claimant for oral communication.

Fiscal Year (FY): Receipt counts for each FY from 2011 through 2015.

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To learn more about our language services, visit the SSA Multilanguage Gateway where you can read our Language Access Plan and obtain other publications.