Completing the Picture: Key Features of the Social Security Disability Insurance Program
Issue Brief
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Key Findings
- About 8.8 million people receive SSDI benefits based on their own history.
- The benefit application process can be lengthy for applicants who appeal initial denials.
- SSDI improves the economic well-being of those who receive it, but many still live in poverty.
- The rise in the number of beneficiaries is due in part to shifts in labor force demographics, among other factors.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a program operated by the Social Security Administration, insures workers and their families against the inability to work because of a disability. As such, it provides a vital safety net for millions of Americans. However, conflicting statistics and differing perspectives on the program have given rise to a number of misconceptions about why it exists, whom it serves, and what it provides. In this brief, we summarize key features of the program and describe some of the salient issues policymakers will need to consider to address the projected depletion of the SSDI Trust Fund in 2016. We also discuss the eligibility criteria for the program, benefit levels, and beneficiaries' ability to work.
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