Affiliations: The Lewin Group, 9302 Lee Highway, Suite 500, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA
Note: [] This paper is based on results obtained in two projects conducted by Lewin-VHI for the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation and the Social Security Administration under Contract No. 100-0012 with the Department of Human Services. Versions of this were presented at the American Economic Association Meetings held in Washington DC, in January, 1995 and at a conference on disability policy sponsored by the Social Security Administration held in Washington DC, in July, 1995. We are indebted to Kalman Rupp, Peggy Trant, and Mindy Upp of SSA for their substantial support and encouragement, as well as to many others, too numerous to mention, who have contributed to this research. Errors are the sole responsibility of the authors.
Note: [] Corresponding author.
Abstract: The Social Security Administration's income support programs for persons with disabilities experienced tremendous growth in adult applications and awards from 1988 to 1992. An important feature of this growth is that it was not uniform across impairment categories. Applications and awards based on mental disorders and musculoskeletal conditions grew much more rapidly than applications and awards based on other impairments. Based on information obtained from a variety of sources, explanations for the especially high growth in these categories include: change in SSA eligibility criteria; state and local shifting and outreach efforts; recession; and demographic changes. The findings suggest important implications for the future demand for and potential success of vocational rehabilitation services for program beneficiaries.
Keywords: Impairment trends, Social Security Administration, Disability program, Vocational rehabilitation
