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Synthesis Report: Research Synthesis: Employment Programs and Demonstrations for SSI and SSDI Beneficiaries
Topic Area: Disability Employment Policy
Findings:
Evidence echoes previous literature reviews on the challenges of generating substantive impacts, though customized supports to well-targeted populations show some potential.
The most effective interventions provided intensive, customized supports and services focused on job training, placement, and retention to narrowly defined target populations.
Interventions that provided support services or incentives to help beneficiaries keep more of their benefits when working had small or no impacts on employment, even if spending on services was high.
There is no evidence of SSI or SSDI caseload reductions, even among interventions that improved employment and/or earnings.
Little is known about interventions for improving earnings of people with TBI and PTSD.
Recruiting beneficiaries to participate in demonstrations was difficult, which limited the generalizability of study findings.
Fidelity to the demonstration model is important.
Work incentives and supports can be difficult to implement in the context of SSA’s existing work incentives, creating potential confusion for beneficiaries and program staff.
A strong technical assistance component, with incentives for service providers to accept the assistance, is important to successful implementation.
Demonstrations should be pilot tested before being implemented on a national scale.
Coile, C., Duggan, M., & Guo, A. (2016). To work for yourself, for others, or not at all? How disability benefits affect the employment decisions of older veterans. Unpublished manuscript.
Topic Area: Veterans
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Autor, D. H., Duggan, M., Greenberg, K., & Lyle, D. S. (2016). The impact of disability benefits on labor supply: Evidence from the VA’s disability compensation program. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 8(3), 31-68. http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ [Impact of eligibility expansion]
Topic Area: Veterans
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Autor, D. H., Duggan, M., Greenberg, K., & Lyle, D. S. (2016). The impact of disability benefits on labor supply: Evidence from the VA’s disability compensation program. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 8(3), 31-68. http://www.aeaweb.org/aej-applied/ [Impact of DC enrollment and benefit amount]
Topic Area: Veterans
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Coile, C., Duggan, M., & Guo, A. (2015). Veterans’ labor force participation: What role does the VA’s disability compensation program play? American Economic Review, 105(5), 131-136.
Topic Area: Veterans
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Farooq, A., & Kugler, A. D. (2015). What factors contributed to changes in employment during and after the great recession? IZA Journal of Labor Policy, 4(3), 1-28.
Topic Area: Veterans
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Balcazar, F. E., & Suarez-Balcazar, Y. (2015). Employment outcomes among African American and white women with disabilities: Examining the inequalities. Women, Gender, and Families of Color, 3(2), 144-164.
Topic Area: Older Workers
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Rabren, K., Carpenter, J., Dunn, C., & Carney, J. (2014). Actions against poverty: The impact of career technical education. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 37(1), 29-39.
Topic Area: Low-Income Adults
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Weathers, R., & Bailey, M. (2014). The impact of rehabilitation and counseling services on the labor market activity of Social Security Disability (SSDI) beneficiaries. Journal of Policy Analysis & Management, 33(3), 623-648.
Topic Area: Disability Employment Policy
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:Delin, B., Hartman, E., & Sell, C. (2014). Given time it worked: Positive outcomes from a SSDI benefit offset pilot after the initial evaluation period. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 1-11.
Topic Area: Disability Employment Policy
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
Outcome Effectiveness:
