A 10-year review of the Supplemental Security Income program.

January 1, 1974, marked the beginning of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for the aged, blind, and disabled, and also marked the end of a 14-month period of preparation that began on October 30, 1972, when President Nixon signed into law the Social Security Amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92-603). As a way of marking SSI's 10th anniversary, it seems appropriate to review the development of the program since its enactment and compare the program's performance with its original goals and expectations. This article looks at the SSI program in the context of the program's goals as set out by Congress and discusses the legislative changes--and the motives behind those changes--since its implementation. Statistical data are examined to determine whether the program is accomplishing what it was designed to do, and whether, as a result of legislation or because of changes in the characteristics of the recipient population, trends are developing that may have a future impact on the program.