benefit claiming

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

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

October 22, 2021
Susan Barnes
Administrative data link, benefit claiming, Disparities

Disparities in Social Security claim ages have risen since the early 1990s. With high earners increasingly likely to delay claiming, and also living longer on average than lower earners, late claimants may differ in critical ways from early claimants. Using…

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

August 12, 2021
Susan Barnes
benefit claiming, OASDI trust funds, pensions, Retirement

I analyze the effects of public pension parameters, Social Security coverage, and state pension fund sustainability on the retirement of public employees. I use data from the Health and Retirement Study, including personal early and normal retirement eligibility and state…

Public Pension Design and Household Retirement Decisions: A Comparison of the United States and Germany

June 17, 2021
Susan Barnes
benefit claiming, Financial well-being, International, Retirement, Social Security, Social Security spousal benefits

Public Pension Design and Household Retirement Decisions: A Comparison of the United States and Germany

May 28, 2021
Susan Barnes
benefit claiming, International, Labor Supply, OASDI trust funds, Older workers, pensions, Retirement

Social Security provides retirement benefits to age-eligible workers and their spouses. Benefits are permanently increased if initial receipt is delayed. For benefits paid to spouses, these incentives reflect a complex interaction of the worker’s and spouse’s earnings histories, benefit claiming…

The Impact of Growing Health and Mortality Inequalities on Lifetime Social Security Payouts

January 11, 2021
Susan Barnes
benefit claiming, Demographic trends, Health and Retirement Study, Mortality trends, OASDI trust funds

The prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and other health problems has increased in recent decades in the United States, and there is a growing gap between the health and longevity of individuals with high socioeconomic status (SES) and low SES. These…