Social Security program communications

The Initial Experiences with the Redesigned Social Security Statement

• February 16, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, MySSA, Social Security program communications

In October 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) implemented a redesigned Social Security statement for workers being sent a statement or checking their my Social Security online accounts. Research on the prior statement has demonstrated its effect on workers’ program…

The Impacts of the Social Security Statement on Peoples’ Knowledge and Behavioral Intentions

• February 16, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Retirement, Social Security program communications

Social Security information can be complex but crucial for financial planning. The redesigned Social Security statement aims to better inform the public. We plan to assess the impact of the redesign on people’s understanding of Social Security, their interest in…

Mixed-methods Study to Understand Use of the my Social Security Online Platform

• December 21, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Social Security, Social Security program communications

We conducted a mixed-methods study to examine barriers to use of my Social Security (MySSA), and users’ experience of using MySSA. The quantitative phase of the study leveraged existing survey data to analyze the determinants of self-reported MySSA account use.…

An Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Knowledge about Social Security Programs and Their Consequences

• October 15, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Disparities, Social Security program communications

Imperfect knowledge of public programs influences take-up and can lead to suboptimal decisions. This project will quantify differences in Social Security program knowledge across race and ethnic groups. We will then estimate the relationship between these knowledge differences and observed…

Disparities in Social Security Knowledge and the Role of Social Capital

• October 15, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Social Security program communications

In this work, we will draw on existing surveys about Social Security knowledge to identify areas where knowledge differs across racial and ethnic groups. (We will also draw on a past MRDRC project, UM18-05, conducted by Katherine Carman.) We will…

Mixed-methods Analysis of Consumer Fraud Reports of the Social Security Impostor Scam

• December 16, 2020
• Susan Barnes
• Fraud, Social Security, Social Security program communications

Despite the growing prevalence of Social Security impostor scams, there has been no academic research on this subtype of fraud. One problem is that general sample surveys do not ask respondents about the individual subtypes of government impostor scams they…

Mixed-methods Study to Understand Use of My Social Security

• December 16, 2020
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Social Security program communications

My Social Security (mySSA) is a key online resource offered by the Social Security Administration, providing users with a single access point to all SSA electronic services. While ostensibly an accessible and useful tool that can save users a significant…

2018 Key Findings

• July 15, 2019
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Affordable Care Act, Behavioral economics, benefit claiming, Cognition, Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Health reform, International, Labor force participation, Labor Supply, Life-cycle model, Long-term care, Medicaid, Medicare, Mortality trends, OASDI trust funds, Older workers, Payroll taxes, pensions, Program interaction, retirement savings, Second career, Social Security, Social Security program communications, Social Security reform, Social Security spousal benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Totalization, Veterans

Social Security Household Benefits: Measuring Program Knowledge

• December 10, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Social Security program communications, Social Security spousal benefits

Using Consequence Messaging to Improve Understanding of Social Security

• December 10, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Behavioral economics, Social Security program communications