Social Security

Researchers measure Social Security wealth

• September 7, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, poverty, Social Security

Sabelhaus & Henriques Volz estimate detailed life-cycle earnings profiles for Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) respondents & include Social Security wealth (SSW). Paper: https://bit.ly/MRDRCwp416

How Redistributive Are Public Health Care Schemes? Evidence from Medicare and Medicaid in Old Age

• August 24, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Disparities, Financial well-being, Life-cycle model, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security

Most health care for the U.S. population 65 and older is publicly provided through Medicare and Medicaid. Despite the massive expenditures of these systems, little is known about how redistributive they are. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study…

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

• June 3, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, Fraud, Social Security

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

• June 3, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Social Security, Social Security program communications

Workplace Injuries and Receipt of Benefits from Workers Compensation and SSDI*

• April 13, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Disability, Disability insurance, Health and Retirement Study, Program interaction, Social Security

We use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and matched Social Security Administration (SSA) data to study two questions. First, we examine evidence on whether workers who suffer permanently disabling injuries covered by workers’ compensation (WC) subsequently end…

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

Underfunded Public Sector Pension Plans, Social Security Participation, and the Retirement Decisions of Public Employees

• April 13, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• pensions, Program interaction, Social Security

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

• February 4, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, Fraud, Social Security

Most Americans have received fraudulent calls from impostors claiming to be officials from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Callers threaten those who respond with arrest and suspension of their bank accounts and Social Security numbers, but charges can be removed…

Estimating the Impact of Missing Totalization Agreements

• February 3, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• International, Labor Supply, Social Security, Totalization

The number of international social security agreements (totalization agreements) signed by the United States is significantly smaller than the number signed by other countries such as Canada and the U.K. This paper estimates the impact of the missing totalization agreements…

Expansion of the Totalization Program using Simplified Agreements to Eliminate Dual Taxation

• February 1, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• International, Social Security, Totalization

The United States has signed 30 bilateral social security agreements. Some of its partner countries, such as the U.K. or Germany, have signed international agreements to eliminate double taxation for nationals working temporarily abroad with more than 50 other countries.…