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The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program

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Listed:
  • Mark Duggan
  • Melissa S. Kearney
  • Stephanie Rennane

Abstract

The SSI program provides cash assistance to some of the nation’s most vulnerable elderly, blind, and disabled residents. In this paper, we briefly summarize the history of the SSI program and present descriptive evidence on caseload composition and trends. We discuss relevant conceptual issues and empirical evidence focused on four key issues. First, we describe the advantages and disadvantages of categorical eligibility requirements and we show that the SSI caseload has become increasingly comprised of difficult-to-verify conditions, namely pain and mental disabilities. Second, we describe systematic disincentives to accumulate earnings and assets inherent in the SSI program design, but emphasize that the more relevant set of questions for the SSI population are related to the full disability requirement for eligibility. Third, we describe the questions and research about long-term benefits and costs to program participants, in terms of whether the program adequately and appropriately serves the needs of disabled individuals and their family members. And fourth, we present information and evidence about program spillovers, both across programs and across federal and state levels of government. Throughout the paper we make numerous explicit references to areas where further study is warranted and open research questions remain. SSI is an important part of the U.S. safety net, but particular features of the program raise questions about whether there is a more effective way to provide income support for individuals with work-limiting disabilities and families with disabled the children. Our goal for this paper is to systematically present the issues for scholars and policy-makers to consider and explore.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Duggan & Melissa S. Kearney & Stephanie Rennane, 2015. "The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program," NBER Working Papers 21209, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21209
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    Cited by:

    1. Messel, Matt & Swensen, Isaac & Urban, Carly, 2023. "The effects of expanding access to mental health services on SS(D)I applications and awards," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Lee, Ajin, 2020. "How do hospitals respond to managed care? Evidence from at-risk newborns," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    3. Manasi Deshpande, 2016. "Does Welfare Inhibit Success? The Long-Term Effects of Removing Low-Income Youth from the Disability Rolls," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(11), pages 3300-3330, November.
    4. Burns, Marguerite & Dague, Laura, 2017. "The effect of expanding Medicaid eligibility on Supplemental Security Income program participation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 20-34.
    5. Purvi Sevak & Lucie Schmidt, "undated". "What Can We Learn from County-Level Variation in Child SSI Participation Rates?," Mathematica Policy Research Reports d5a5b2928287481facc705d80, Mathematica Policy Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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