Califano v. Webster

Under § 215 of the Social Security Act, as added, 64 Stat. 506, and amended, 42 U. S. C. § 415 (1970 ed. and Supp. V), old-age insurance benefits are computed on the basis of the wage earner’s “average monthly wage” earned during his “benefit computation years” which are the “elapsed years” (reduced by five) during which the wage earner’s covered wages were highest. Until a 1972 amendment, “elapsed years” depended upon the sex of the wage earner. Section 215 (b) (3) prescribed that the number of “elapsed years” for a male wage earner would be three higher than for an otherwise similarly…