benefit claiming

Mixed-methods Study on Work-disabled Adults Who Do Not Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

• February 5, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Disability, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income

Take-up gaps in safety net programs, which have been long documented in the United States and elsewhere, are an important policy question as nontake-up compromises the equity objectives and efficacy of programs. The Social Security Disability program is an example…

Application Decision-making for SSI for Children: A Qualitative Study with Beneficiary and Nonbeneficiary Families

• January 30, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Family dynamics, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program of the Social Security Administration provides an important safety net to families of children with severe disabilities who meet specific income and asset criteria. Yet the number of children served by the program has…

Community-engaged Research into the Barriers and Communication Preferences of Rural Populations

• January 30, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Disparities, Social Security, Social Security program communications

This qualitative research project will use in-depth interviews of rural residents to understand: a) service-related barriers to seeking government benefits in rural areas and communication preferences among rural residents; b) how service-related barriers and communication preferences vary by race/ethnicity, educational…

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

• January 9, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, COVID-19, Disparities, Labor force participation, Social Security

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

• December 21, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, COVID-19, Disparities, Labor force participation, Social Security

This project examines whether there exists a link between occupational segregation by race and labor market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate the extent to which workers employed in occupations with higher concentrations of Black workers were more likely…

Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review

• April 9, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Disparities, Social Security, Social Security program communications, Survivor benefit

This scoping review of the literature on communications and service-related barriers faced by individuals living in rural areas when seeking government benefits will examine the current research on this topic and identify differences by sociodemographic groups within rural populations.

Mixed-method Study on Information, Communications, and Access to Government Benefit among Rural Populations

• April 9, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Social Security program communications, Survivor benefit

Federal and state benefits provide essential assistance to reduce urban-rural inequities and indirectly contribute to the rural economy. Yet, while participation in benefits programs is higher among rural than urban residents, gaps remain in benefit access in rural areas. Little…

Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees

• October 25, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Disparities, Financial well-being, retirement savings

The Social Security Amendments of 1983 raised the Full Retirement Age (FRA), the age at which claimants receive an unreduced monthly benefit, from 65 to 67. However, this change was set to be gradually implemented, with the first increase from…

How Redistributive Is the U.S Social Security System Today?

• October 25, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, benefit claiming, Demographic trends, Disparities, Social Security, Social Security spousal benefits, Survivor benefit

This project will quantify the extent of current redistribution within the United States Social Security program, incorporating mortality, marriage, and claiming age differentials by minority status, lifetime earnings, and marital status.

Is the Adjustment of Social Security Benefits Actuarially Fair, and If So, for Whom?

• April 13, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Mortality trends, Older workers, Retirement, Social Security