The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, draws attention to two long-standing social insurance programs that pay cash benefits to families when a breadwinner dies. Workers' compensation pays benefits if a worker is killed at work. Social Security pays families whether or not the worker's...

Currently, 8.8 million disabled workers (and nearly 2 million of their children) receive Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) benefits. For many, DI benefits are nearly all the income they have. The DI trust fund reserves are projected to be depleted in 2016, after which tax revenues coming...