Is unemployment compensation a benefit received under the Social Security Act

The legislation authorizing the unemployment compensation program can be found in the Social Security Act, as amended. That's why it's considered a benefit received under the Social Security Act. Other programs authorized under the Social Security Act include Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Many of these programs were part of FDR's New Deal. Unemployment compensation originated in Wisconsin in 1932. For more of the history, see: http://www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3.html