Social Security

Size and Scope of the Social Security Disability Program

• Disability benefits were paid to about 6.2 million people.
• Awards to disabled workers (661,900) represented about 90 percent of awards to all disabled beneficiaries (732,700).
• Payments to disabled workers and their dependents totaled about $60 billion.
• Benefits were terminated for about 459,000 disabled workers.

Profile of Disabled-Worker Beneficiaries

• Workers accounted for the largest share of disabled beneficiaries (85 percent).
• Average age was about 51.
• Men represented about 56 percent.
• Mental disorders was the diagnosis for a third.
• Average monthly benefit received was $814.
• Supplemental Security Income payments were another source of income for about 1 out of 7.

Since 1956, the Social Security program has provided cash benefits to people with disabilities. This annual report provides program and demographic information on the people who receive those benefits. The basic topics covered are:

• Beneficiaries in current payment status;
• Benefits awarded, withheld, and terminated;
• Geographic distribution of beneficiaries;
• Social Security beneficiaries who also receive Supplemental Security Income; and
• Income of disabled beneficiaries.

Our first edition presented a series of detailed tables on the three categories of disabled beneficiaries—workers, widow(er)s, and adult children. In this second edition, we have broadened our scope to include data on disabled-worker families. In addition, the cross-program tables now provide an unduplicated total of disabled Social Security beneficiaries who also receive Supplemental Security Income payments, and they include a distribution by state. The tables on disability terminations have been improved and now reflect the use of a technique that permits distributions by reason for terminations, including medical improvement and work. Finally, some of last year's tables on race have been replaced with tables using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The race and ethnicity data available through the SIPP are self-reported and are based on a newer, discrete classification scheme.

Most of the data are from the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) program records. Information on the income of disabled beneficiaries was obtained from the 1996 SIPP panel. The SIPP data were linked to information from SSA's December 1999 program records. In future editions, we plan to add more information about outcomes of disability applicants, disabled beneficiaries who work, reinstatement of benefits, workers' compensation and public disability benefit offset, and continuing disability reviews.

Cece Chin compiled this report for publication. Cece Chin, Paul Davies, Carolyn A. Harrison, Thuy Ho, Art Kahn, Melissa Koenig, Clark Pickett, and Matt Rassette wrote the programs to process the data and produce the statistical tables. Linda Martin managed the project, wrote data specifications, and validated the data. Emil Loomis designed the cover, and Celine Houget and Laurie Brown edited the report. Laurie Brown prepared the electronic versions for the Web.

Susan Grad
Acting Associate Commissioner for Research, Evaluation, and Statistics
September 2002

The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) program provides benefits to retired workers and their dependent family members and to survivors of deceased workers. The Disability Insurance (DI) program provides benefits to disabled workers, their spouses, and children (whether or not disabled).

Benefits are paid from the OASI and DI trust funds. However, not all disabled beneficiaries are paid from the DI trust fund. All disabled widow(er)s' and most disabled adult children's benefits are paid from the OASI trust fund. Persons receiving disability benefits from either trust fund are referred to in this report as Social Security beneficiaries.

Numbers presented in these tables may differ slightly from other published statistics because most tables are based on 100 percent data files. Tables giving data on awards and terminations are based on a 1 percent file for calendar year 2001. In addition, the definition of an award now includes secondary benefit awards, closed periods of disability, subsequent periods of disability, and conversions from one class of child's benefit to another and excludes reinstated benefits. These changes resulted in a slight increase in the number of awards for 2001 compared with earlier years.

All years are calendar years unless otherwise specified.