The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS)

Introduction

The National Beneficiary Survey is a component of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) evaluation of the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program (TTW). The survey, sponsored by SSA’s Office of Retirement and Disability Policy and conducted by Mathematica Policy Research (Mathematica), collects data from a national sample of Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries and a sample of TTW participants.  The NBS collects data on knowledge of TTW, participation in TTW, program experiences of beneficiaries who use their Tickets, and perceptions about TTW and other SSA programs designed to help beneficiaries with disabilities find and keep jobs.  Though some sections of the NBS target beneficiary activity directly related to TTW, most of the survey captures more general information on SSA beneficiaries, including their disabilities, interest in work, employment, barriers to work, and use of services. The survey is conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI).  Beneficiaries who do not respond to the CATI interview or who prefer or require an in-person interview, are interviewed using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). In an effort to ensure that the survey represents the full range of beneficiary perspectives, the survey is fielded using procedures that accommodate the needs of respondents with all kinds of disabilities. The first three rounds of the NBS were conducted in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The fourth round of the NBS is being conducted in 2010.

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Background

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 authorized TTW.  TTW is a voluntary employment program for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. The legislation was designed to create market-driven services to help disability beneficiaries become economically self-sufficient.  Under the program, SSA provides disability beneficiaries with a “Ticket” or coupon that they may use to obtain employment-support services, including vocational rehabilitation, from an approved provider of their choice (called Employment Networks or ENs).

SSA implemented the TTW program beginning in 2002 in three phases spanning three years.  Each phase corresponded to about one-third of the states. SSA is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the TTW program and the NBS is designed to supplement that evaluation by providing information on beneficiaries’ characteristics, awareness of SSA work assistance programs, and attitudes toward work that is not otherwise available.  The initial NBS survey design called for four national cross-sectional surveys (called rounds) of Ticket-eligible SSA disability beneficiaries— one each in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007—and cross-sectional surveys of Ticket participants in each of three groups of states (Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 states)—defined by the year in which the program was rolled out.  In addition, the design called for the first TTW participant cohort in each group of Ticket roll-out states to be followed longitudinally until 2006. SSA subsequently revised this survey design to include all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities (not just those who were Ticket-eligible) and to postpone the final round of the survey to 2010 to address the experiences of TTW participants under new TTW regulations implemented by SSA in July 2008.

The NBS is intended to meet five key objectives: 1. Provide critical data on the work-related activities of SSDI and SSI beneficiaries, particularly as they relate to TTW implementation; 2. Collect data on the characteristics and program experiences of beneficiaries who use their Tickets; 3. Gather information about beneficiaries who do not use their Tickets, and the reasons they do not; 4. Collect data that will allow SSA to evaluate the employment outcomes of Ticket users and other SSDI and SSI beneficiaries; and 5. Collect data on service use, barriers to work, and perceptions about TTW and other SSA programs designed to help beneficiaries with disabilities find and keep jobs.

Though some sections of the NBS target beneficiary activity directly related to TTW, most of the survey captures more general information on SSA beneficiaries, including their disabilities, interest in work, use of services, and employment. As a result, SSA and external researchers interested in disability and employment issues can use the survey data for other policymaking and program-planning efforts.

As part of an evaluation of the TTW, Mathematica conducted the first round of the NBS in 2004. The survey included a national sample of SSA disability beneficiaries (the Representative Beneficiary Sample) and a sample of TTW participants (the Ticket Participant Sample). Mathematica collected data using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) with computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) follow ups for CATI non-respondents and those who preferred or required an in-person interview to accommodate their disabilities.  Additional rounds of the NBS were conducted as planned in 2005 (round 2) and 2006 (round 3).  The fourth round of the NBS is being conducted in 2010.

Mathematica will send an advance letter to sampled beneficiaries prior to the round 4 interview.  The advance letter will explain the purpose of the survey, offer assurances of confidentiality, and provide a toll-free number for respondents to call with questions or to arrange to complete the interview at their convenience.  Sample members in both the Representative Beneficiary Sample and the Ticket Participant Sample receive the same survey instrument.  The survey instrument and other technical documents related to the NBS are available from SSA or Mathematica upon request.

The NBS collects data on a wide range of topics including employment, limiting conditions, experience with SSA programs, employment services, health and functional status, health insurance, income, and socio-demographic information.  All information collected is strictly confidential and is not reported in any way that identifies survey respondents.  The information collected for the NBS is not used by SSA to determine the continuing eligibility of respondents for disability benefits.

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Technical Details on NBS Sub-Samples

The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) Round One

In 2004, Mathematica fielded the round-one NBS to two sub-samples: (1) the first national cross-sectional survey of all beneficiaries (the Representative Beneficiary Sample) and (2) the first cross-sectional survey of Ticket participants in the Phase 1 states (the Ticket Participant Sample). 

For round 1, Mathematica completed interviews with 6,520 individuals in the national sample of beneficiaries and 1,083 individuals in the sample of TTW participants, for a total of 7,603 interviews completed in both sub-samples. The weighted response rate for the national sample of beneficiaries was 77.5 percent. The weighted response rate for the TTW participant sample was 80.9 percent.

The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) Round Two

In 2005, Mathematica fielded the round-two NBS to four sub-samples: (1) the second national cross-sectional survey of all beneficiaries (the Representative Beneficiary Sample), (2) the second cross-sectional survey of Ticket participants in the Phase 1 states, (3) the first cross-sectional survey of Ticket participants in the Phase 2 states, and (4)  the first longitudinal follow-up survey of Ticket participants who were first interviewed in round one (combined, these last three sub-samples make up the round two Ticket Participant Sample).

For round two, Mathematica completed interviews with 4,864 individuals in the national sample of beneficiaries and 3,091 from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 cross-sectional Ticket Participant cohorts, for a total of 7,955 interviews completed across all sub-samples.  The weighted response rate for the Representative Beneficiary Sample was 78.7 percent. The weighted response rate for the Ticket Participant Cross-Sectional Sample was 80.4 percent. In round two, we also completed interviews with 1,019 longitudinal cases (70 percent of the total sample) for an overall weighted response rate of 78.2 percent.  Of the Phase 1 longitudinal cases, 897 (61 percent of the total sample) completed a round 1 and a round 2 interview.

The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) Round Three

In 2006, Mathematica fielded the round-three NBS to five sub-samples: (1) the third national survey of all beneficiaries (the Representative Beneficiary Sample); (2) the second cross-sectional survey of Ticket participants who resided in a Phase 2 state at the time of Ticket assignment (the Phase 2 Cross-Sectional Ticket Participant Sample); (3) The first cross-sectional survey of Ticket participants who resided in a Phase 3 state at the time of Ticket assignment (the Phase 3 Cross-Sectional Ticket Participant Sample); (4) the first longitudinal follow-up survey of Ticket participants who were first interviewed in round two; and (5) the second longitudinal follow-up survey of Ticket participants who were first interviewed in round one (combined these last four sub-samples make up the round three Ticket Participant Sample).

For round three, Mathematica completed interviews with 2,508 individuals in the national sample of beneficiaries and 4,097 from the Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 Ticket Participant cohorts, for a total of 6,605 interviews completed across all sub-samples.  The weighted response rate for the Representative Beneficiary Sample was 81.1 percent. The weighted response rate for the Ticket Participant Cross-Sectional Sample was 84.4 percent. In round two, Mathematica completed interviews with 982 longitudinal cases (included in the 4,097 above).   The weighted response rate for the longitudinal Phase 1 TTW participants completing all three rounds was 62.8 percent.

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