Citation
Muller, L. Scott. (1992). Disability beneficiaries who work and their experience under program work incentives. Social Security Bulletin, 55(2), 2–42.
Highlights
- This study used data from the New Beneficiary Survey and claims folders to describe the experiences of recipients’ experiences under Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) work incentive provisions.
- The analysis found that relatively few DI recipients worked while in benefit status, and considerably smaller numbers had benefit terminations. About 10 percent of people initially entitled to benefits from mid-1980 to mid-1981 were found to have worked while in benefit status over the approximately 10-year period under study.
- The vast majority (84 percent) of those who worked were granted a trial work period (TWP). Nearly 75 percent of those granted a TWP successfully completed nine months of trial work, yet fewer than half of those who completed the TWP were eventually terminated from the program for substantial gainful activity (SGA). Overall, fewer than 3 percent of this cohort of initial entitlements had SGA terminations and, among this small number, nearly one-third had returned to the rolls by 1990.
- Recipients most likely to make a work attempt were young and had high levels of education.
Reviewed by CLEAR
December 2014