Work

An empirical analysis of the social security disability application, appeal, and award process

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: We provide an empirical analysis of the Social Security disability application, award, and appeal process using the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS). We show that the appeal option increases the award probability from 46% to 73%. However, this comes at the cost of significant delays: the duration between application and award is over three times longer for those who are awarded benefits after one or more stages of appeal. Our results reveal the importance of self-selection in application and appeal decisions. In particular, an individual's self-assessed disability status emerges as one of the most powerful predictors of application, appeal, and award decisions.

Source: Labour Economics

DOI: 10.1016/s0927-5371(99)00014-7

Authors: Hugo Benı́tez-Silva, Moshe Buchinsky, Hiu Man Chan, John Rust, Sofia Sheidvasser

Institutions: Yale University, National Bureau of Economic Research, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, Brown University, Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique

Language: English

Topic: Retirement, Disability, and Employment

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,240