File structure

The file created when you choose "Save" or "Save As" from the File menu is stored in a file with a name ending in ".pia". Normally you do not need to view the file directly; you would choose "Open" from the File menu to read the file back into the Social Security Benefit Calculator.

In some cases you may want to view or edit a ".pia" file. The file is stored as ASCII text, where each line begins with a 2-digit line number. The rest of each line depends on the line number, as follows:

Line number	Position	Description
01	3-11	Social Security number
	12	Sex 0 for male 1 for female
	13-14	Month of birth
	15-16	Day of birth
	17-20	Year of birth
02	3-4	Month of death
	5-6	Day of death
	7-10	Year of death
03	3	Type of benefit 1 for old age 2 for survivor 3 for disability
	4-5	Month of entitlement
	6-9	Year of entitlement
04	3-4	Month of benefit
	5-8	Year of benefit
06	3-6	First year of earnings
	7-10	Last year of earnings
07	3	Type of backward projection 0 for no backward projection 1 for projection related to average wage increase 2 for projection by a constant percentage
	4-9	Backward projection percentage
	10-13	Last year of earnings in backward projection period
08	3	Type of forward projection 0 for no forward projection 1 for projection related to average wage increase 2 for projection by a constant percentage
	4-9	Forward projection percentage
	10-13	First year of earnings in forward projection period
09	3-4	Month of onset for most recent period of disability
	5-6	Day of onset for most recent period of disability
	7-10	Year of onset for most recent period of disability
	11-12	Month of entitlement for most recent period of disability
	13-16	Year of entitlement for most recent period of disability
	17-18	Month of first month of waiting period for most recent period of disability
	19-22	Year of first month of waiting period for most recent period of disability
	23-24	Month of cessation for most recent period of disability
	25-28	Year of cessation for most recent period of disability
	29-38	PIA at cessation of most recent period of disability (Optional)
	39-48	MFB at cessation of most recent period of disability (Optional)
10	3-4	Month of onset for second most recent period of disability
	5-6	Day of onset for second most recent period of disability
	7-10	Year of onset for second most recent period of disability
	11-12	Month of entitlement for second most recent period of disability
	13-16	Year of entitlement for second most recent period of disability
	17-18	Month of first month of waiting period for second most recent period of disability
	19-22	Year of first month of waiting period for second most recent period of disability
	23-24	Month of cessation for second most recent period of disability
	25-28	Year of cessation for second most recent period of disability
	29-38	PIA at cessation of second most recent period of disability (Optional)
	39-48	MFB at cessation of second most recent period of disability (Optional)
11	3-4	Beginning month of first period of military service
	5-8	Beginning year of first period of military service
	9-10	Ending month of first period of military service
	11-14	Ending year of first period of military service
	15-26	Beginning and ending dates of second period of military service
	...	Beginning and ending dates of third through 15th periods of military service
12	3-12	Monthly noncovered pension
	13-14	Month of entitlement to noncovered pension
	15-18	Year of entitlement to noncovered pension
13	3	Totalization indicator (1 if totalization applies, 0 otherwise)
14	3	Blindness indicator (1 if worker is blind, 0 otherwise)
15	3	Deemed insured indicator (1 if deemed insured provision applies) 0 otherwise
16	3-37	Number holder's name
17	3-37	First line of number holder's address
18	3-37	Second line of number holder's address
19	3-37	Third line of number holder's address
20	*	Type of earnings with 1 position for each year from first year in line 6, or year in line 7 if specified, to last year in line 6, or year in line 8 if specified 0 for entered earnings 1 for maximum 2 for high 3 for average 4 for low
21	*	Type of taxes, with 1 position for each year in period specified in line 6 0 for employee taxes 1 for self-employed taxes
Earnings on lines 22-29 are for same years for which type of earnings were specified on line 20. Each earnings amount takes 11 positions, with two decimal places and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 100000.00" for $100,000.00 in earnings.
22	*	First 10 years of OASDI earnings
23	*	Second 10 years of OASDI earnings
24	*	Third 10 years of OASDI earnings
25	*	Fourth 10 years of OASDI earnings
26	*	Fifth 10 years of OASDI earnings
27	*	Sixth 10 years of OASDI earnings
28	*	Seventh 10 years of OASDI earnings
29	*	Eighth 10 years of OASDI earnings
Earnings on lines 30-37 are for period starting with maximum of 1983 and first year specified on line 6 and ending with last year on line 6. Each earnings amount takes 11 positions, with two decimal places and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 100000.00" for $100,000.00 in earnings.
30	*	First 10 years of HI earnings
31	*	Second 10 years of HI earnings
32	*	Third 10 years of HI earnings
33	*	Fourth 10 years of HI earnings
34	*	Fifth 10 years of HI earnings
35	*	Sixth 10 years of HI earnings
36	*	Seventh 10 years of HI earnings
37	*	Eighth 10 years of HI earnings
38	3-12	Monthly noncovered pension after removal of military reservist pension
39	3-4	Month of old-age entitlement prior to most recent disability
	5-8	Year of old-age entitlement prior to most recent disability
	9-10	Month of old-age termination prior to most recent disability
	11-14	Year of old-age termination prior to most recent disability
40	3-6	First year of benefit increase projection
	7	Benefit increase assumption indicator
	8	Average wage increase assumption indicator
	9	Maximum wage base projection indicator 1 for automatic projection 2 for ad hoc bases
Benefit increases on lines 41-44 start in year specified on line 40 and end in year specified on line 3 (or line 4 if specified). Each increase takes 4 positions, with one decimal place and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 4.0" for a 4-percent benefit increase.
41	3-6	First benefit increase
	7-10	Second benefit increase
	...	Third through 20th benefit increase
42	3-82	21st through 40th benefit increase
43	3-82	41st through 60th benefit increase
44	3-82	61st through 80th benefit increase
Catch-up increases on lines 45-54 start two years after year specified on line 40. Each increase takes 4 positions, with one decimal place and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 4.0" for a 4-percent benefit increase.
45	3-6	First catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	7-10	Second catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	11-14	Third catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	15-18	Fourth catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	19-22	Fifth catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	23-26	Sixth catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	27-30	Seventh catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
	31-34	Eighth catch-up benefit increase for year of eligibility specified on line 40
46	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 45
47	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 46
48	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 47
49	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 48
50	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 49
51	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 50
52	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 51
53	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 52
54	3-34	8 catch-up benefit increases for next year of eligibility after year used in line 53
55	3-67	Title of benefit increase assumptions
Average wage increases on lines 56-59 start in year before year specified on line 40 and end in year specified on line 3 (or line 4 if specified). Each increase takes 6 positions, with three decimal places and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 4.000" for a 4-percent average wage increase.
56	3-8	First average wage increase
	9-14	Second average wage increase
	...	Third through 20th average wage increase
57	3-122	21st through 40th average wage increase
58	3-122	41st through 60th average wage increase
59	3-122	61st through 80th average wage increase
60	3-67	Title of average wage increase assumptions
Maximum OASDI wage bases on lines 61-64 start in year after year specified on line 40 and end in year specified on line 3 (or line 4 if specified). Each wage base takes 11 positions, with two decimal places and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 1000000.00" for a $1,000,000.00 wage base.
61	3-13	First OASDI wage base
	14-24	Second OASDI wage base
	...	Third through 20th OASDI wage bases
62	3-222	21st through 40th OASDI wage bases
63	3-222	41st through 60th OASDI wage bases
64	3-222	61st through 80th OASDI wage bases
Maximum old-law wage bases on lines 65-68 start in year after year specified on line 40 and end in year specified on line 3 (or line 4 if specified). Each wage base takes 11 positions, with two decimal places and leading blanks if required, e.g. " 1000000.00" for a $1,000,000.00 wage base.
65	3-13	First old-law wage base
	14-24	Second old-law wage base
	...	Third through 20th old-law wage bases
66	3-222	21st through 40th old-law wage bases
67	3-222	41st through 60th old-law wage bases
68	3-222	61st through 80th old-law wage bases
69	3	First family member's major beneficiary identification code (bic) A - primary (old-age or disability) B - wife or husband (young or aged) C - child (minor, student, or disabled) D - aged widow(er) E - mother or father F - parent T - transitionally insured U - transitionally uninsured W - disabled widow(er)
	4	First family member's minor beneficiary identification code (bic) If major bic is B, then: blank - aged wife or husband 2 - young wife or husband 6 - divorced aged wife or husband If major bic is D, then: blank - aged widow(er) 6 - surviving divorced wife or husband If major bic is W, then: blank - disabled widow(er) 6 - surviving disabled divorced wife or husband
	5-6	First family member's month of birth
	7-8	First family member's day of birth
	9-12	First family member's year of birth
	13-14	First family member's month of entitlement
	15-18	First family member's year of entitlement
	19-20	Widow(er)'s month of disability onset (if major bic is W)
	21-22	Widow(er)'s day of disability onset (if major bic is W)
	23-26	Widow(er)'s year of disability onset (if major bic is W)
70	3-26	Data for second family member, as in line 69
71	3-26	Data for third family member, as in line 69
72	3-26	Data for fourth family member, as in line 69
73	3-26	Data for fifth family member, as in line 69
74	3-26	Data for sixth family member, as in line 69
75	3-26	Data for seventh family member, as in line 69
76	3-26	Data for eighth family member, as in line 69
77	3-26	Data for ninth family member, as in line 69
78	3-26	Data for 10th family member, as in line 69
79	3-26	Data for 11th family member, as in line 69
80	3-26	Data for 12th family member, as in line 69
81	3-26	Data for 13th family member, as in line 69
82	3-26	Data for 14th family member, as in line 69
83	3-26	Data for 15th family member, as in line 69
84	3-4	Total railroad quarters of coverage, 1937-1950
	5-15	Total railroad earnings, 1937-1950
85	3-6	First year of railroad earnings
	7-10	Last year of railroad earnings
86	3-29	Annual railroad quarters of coverage, with 1 position for each year from 1951 to 1977
87	3-112	First 10 years of railroad earnings
88	3-112	Second 10 years of railroad earnings
89	3-112	Third 10 years of railroad earnings
90	3-112	Fourth 10 years of railroad earnings
91	3-112	Fifth 10 years of railroad earnings
92	3-112	Sixth 10 years of railroad earnings
93	3-112	Seventh 10 years of railroad earnings
94	3-112	Eighth 10 years of railroad earnings
95	3-5	Total quarters of coverage, 1937-1977
	6-8	Total quarters of coverage, 1951-1977
96	*	Annual quarters of coverage, with 1 position for each year from first year in line 6 to earlier of last year in line 6 or 1977 (0-4)
97	*	Annual indicator for childcare year, with 1 position for each year from first year in line 6 to last year in line 6 0 for non-childcare year 1 for childcare year