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The Role of Information in Disability Insurance Application: An Analysis of the Social Security Statement Phase-In

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  • Philip Armour

Abstract

This paper exploits a natural experiment in information provision on US Disability Insurance (DI) applications: the Social Security statement. Although the effect of the statement on DI application was negligible in the general health and retirement study population, among those previously reporting a work limitation, biennial DI application rates approximately doubled. This effect was driven by previously uninformed individuals. Additional analyses show these were new applicants and were no less likely to be accepted onto DI, accounting for a substantial fraction of the rise in DI rolls from 1994 to 2004 and indicating the importance of informational frictions in disability policymaking.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Armour, 2018. "The Role of Information in Disability Insurance Application: An Analysis of the Social Security Statement Phase-In," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 1-41, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:1-41
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.20160605
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ha Trong Nguyen & Huong Thu Le & Luke B Connelly, 2021. "Who's declining the “free lunch”? New evidence from the uptake of public child dental benefits," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 270-288, February.
    2. Anne M. Garvey & Manuel Ventura-Marco & Carlos Vidal-Meliá, 2021. "Does the pension system’s income statement really matter? A proposal for an NDC scheme with disability and minimum pension benefits," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 292-310, January.
    3. Michael Levere & David Wittenburg & Heinrich Hock & John T. Jones, "undated". "Using Behavioral Outreach to Counteract Administrative Burden and Encourage Take-Up of Simplified Disability Payment Rules," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 0c17d5c1847d453091eb6356c, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Robert W. Hahn & Robert D. Metcalfe, 2021. "Efficiency and Equity Impacts of Energy Subsidies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(5), pages 1658-1688, May.
    5. Tuomas Matikka & Tuuli Paukkeri, 2022. "Does sending letters increase the take-up of social benefits? Evidence from a new benefit program," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 3253-3287, December.
    6. Philip Armour & Melanie A. Zaber, 2020. "Does Student Loan Forgiveness Drive Disability Application?," NBER Working Papers 26787, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Hervelin Jérémy, 2022. "Directing young dropouts via SMS: evidence from a field experiment," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Anna Jędrzychowska, 2022. "A Bridge Life Insurance for Households—Diagnosis and Motives," Risks, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    9. Wu, Derek & Meyer, Bruce D., 2023. "Certification and Recertification in Welfare Programs: What Happens When Automation Goes Wrong?," IZA Discussion Papers 16294, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Zucco, Cesar & Lenz, Anna-Katharina & Goldszmidt, Rafael & Valdivia, Martin, 2020. "Face-to-face vs. virtual assistance to entrepreneurs: Evidence from a field experiment in Brazil," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    11. Tatiana Homonoff & Jason Somerville, 2021. "Program Recertification Costs: Evidence from SNAP," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 271-298, November.
    12. Francisco Perez-Arce & Lila Rabinovich, 2022. "The Impacts of the Social Security Statement Redesign on People’s Knowledge and Behavioral Intentions: A Survey Experiment," Working Papers wp450, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    13. Delia Furtado & Kerry L. Papps & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2019. "Who Goes on Disability when Times are Tough? The Role of Social Costs of Take-Up among Immigrants," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1908, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    14. Jing Jian Xiao & Chunsheng Tao, 2020. "Consumer finance/household finance: the definition and scope," China Finance Review International, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 1-25, June.
    15. Goldin, Jacob & Homonoff, Tatiana & Javaid, Rizwan & Schafer, Brenda, 2022. "Tax filing and take-up: Experimental evidence on tax preparation outreach and benefit claiming," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    16. B. Boutchenik & R. Lardeux, 2020. "The Take-Up of Unemployment Benefit Extensions," Documents de Travail de l'Insee - INSEE Working Papers g2020-02, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
    17. Heinrich Hock & David Wittenburg & Michael Levere & Noelle Denny-Brown & Heather Gordon, "undated". "Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Recruitment and Random Assignment Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a012f95df3d34407914ab4115, Mathematica Policy Research.
    18. Heinrich Hock & Michael Levere & David Wittenburg, "undated". "Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Effectiveness of Reminder Messages for Recruitment," Mathematica Policy Research Reports badf9d170b124bc8abab052bc, Mathematica Policy Research.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy

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