Social Insurance and Public Assistance

788 Series Bf525–534 Bf SOCIAL INSURANCE AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
TABLE Bf525–534 Black Lung Benefits – recipients and payments: 1970–1998
Contributed by Price V. Fishback and Melissa A. Thomasson
Persons receiving benefits
Benefits paid by Social
Security Administration
Claim filed prior to July 1, 1973 Claim filed after July 1, 1973
Monthly
Annual
Total Miners Widows Dependents Total Miners Widows Dependents amount amount
Bf525 Bf526 Bf527 Bf528 Bf529 Bf530 Bf531 Bf532 Bf533 Bf534
Thousand Thousand
Year Number Number Number Number Number Number Number Number dollars dollars
1970 111,976 43,921 24,889 43,166 — — — — 12,500 111,000
1971 231,729 77,213 67,358 87,158 — — — — 27,200 378,900
1972 298,963 101,802 88,067 109,094 — — — — 37,800 554,400
1973 461,491 159,837 124,154 177,500 — — — — 63,700 1,045,200
1974 487,216 169,097 134,700 183,419 — — — — 71,500 951,300
1975 482,311 165,405 139,407 177,499 — — — — 75,500 947,700
1976 469,655 158,087 142,495 169,073 — — — — 77,400 963,300
1977 457,399 148,720 144,543 164,136 — — — — 80,500 942,200
1978 439,970 138,648 145,829 155,493 — — — — 82,300 965,100
1979 418,948 129,558 146,527 142,863 83,887 30,739 19,366 33,177 86,500 983,100
1980 399,477 120,235 146,603 132,639 139,073 52,922 26,739 58,223 91,400 1,032,000
1981 376,505 111,249 146,173 119,083 163,401 62,787 30,517 68,266 91,700 1,081,300
1982 354,569 102,234 144,863 107,472 173,972 61,727 32,689 78,738 90,800 1,076,000
1983 333,358 93,694 142,967 96,697 166,043 64,181 35,178 65,871 86,300 1,055,800
1984 313,822 85,658 140,995 87,169 163,166 62,785 36,495 62,982 85,300 1,038,000
1985 294,846 77,836 138,328 78,682 160,437 60,906 37,827 60,817 83,700 1,025,000
1986 275,783 70,253 135,003 70,497 156,892 59,014 38,895 58,058 78,900 971,000
1987 258,988 63,573 131,561 63,854 153,769 57,095 40,346 55,345 76,800 940,000
1988 241,626 56,977 127,322 57,327 150,123 54,920 41,607 52,553 73,500 904,000
1989 225,764 51,048 123,220 51,496 145,289 52,258 42,691 49,245 72,000 882,000
1990 210,678 45,643 118,705 46,330 139,854 49,306 43,404 45,996 70,000 863,400
1991 196,419 40,703 114,046 41,670 134,205 46,450 43,831 42,745 68,400 844,400
1992 182,396 35,971 109,091 37,334 128,761 43,723 43,967 39,846 66,500 822,500
1993 168,365 31,664 103,334 33,367 123,213 40,866 44,103 36,964 64,100 794,300
1994 155,172 27,828 97,414 29,930 117,569 37,970 44,073 34,194 60,600 751,900
1995 143,011 24,573 91,517 26,921 111,769 35,220 43,688 31,499 56,100 696,700
1996 131,143 21,477 85,559 24,107 105,923 32,452 43,155 28,923 52,600 654,600
1997 119,233 18,488 79,238 21,507 100,352 29,839 42,468 26,601 49,255 614,888
1998 109,271 15,964 73,420 19,887 — — — — 46,204 576,389
Sources
Series Bf525–528 and Bf533–534, Social Security Bulletin: Annual Statistical Supplement
(1999), Table 9.D1, p. 338. Series Bf529–532, U.S. Department of
Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs Annual Report to Congress, FY
1996.
Documentation
Established by the federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, the
Black Lung Benefits program provides monthly benefit payments to coal
miners who are totally disabled as a result of pneumoconiosis, to the widows
of coal miners who died as a result of pneumoconiosis, and to their
dependents. Until October 1, 1997, the Social Security Administration has
been responsible for the payment and administration of benefits with respect
to Part B claims filed through June 30, 1973 (and for certain survivor cases
before December 31, 1973). As a result, series Bf525–528 and Bf533–534
reflect payments made to beneficiaries resulting from Part B claims made
prior to July 1, 1973. These payments are financed from the general funds
of the Treasury.
Under the Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) has jurisdiction over Part C claims (generally claims arising
July 1, 1973, and later). Different financing provisions are applicable to these
claims. Data on claims filed with the DOL are included in series Bf529–532.
Under the law, the basic Black Lung Benefits rate is 37.5 percent of the
monthly pay rate for federal employees in the first step of grade GS-2. The
basic rate to a miner or widow may be increased according to the number
of qualified dependents: 50 percent of the basic benefit rate if one dependent
qualifies, 75 percent for two dependents, and 100 percent for three or
more dependents. Because Black Lung payments are tied directly to federal
employee salary scales, increases are automatically payable when federal
salaries are increased. If a miner or surviving spouse is receiving workers’
compensation, unemployment compensation, or Disability Insurance payment
under state law, the Black Lung benefit is offset by the amount being
paid under these other programs.
All coal mine operators are required to pay an excise tax, based on their
tonnage and price of coal sold, to support payment of benefits to miners
under the Act and to pay for the cost of administering the Act. In addition,
coal mine operators are required, either directly or through insurance, to
provide for the payment of benefits to miners when they are the responsible
employer of the miners. Benefits for recipients who worked in mines before
1970, for whom an employer cannot be designated responsible, or for whom
the employer defaults on payments are paid from a trust fund funded by
taxes on coal production.