Employment Experiences of Young Adults and High Earners Who Receive Social Security Disability Benefits: Findings from Semistructured Interviews

Prior analyses of the NBS data have shown the many factors that can help or hinder a beneficiary’s efforts to find work. To complement the NBS, we used SSA administrative data to identify SSI recipients and SSDI beneficiaries whose patterns of work and earning suggested they had the best odds of reducing their dependence on benefits or leaving the benefit rolls. We conducted in-depth interviews asking them about their benefit experiences and their attempts to find and keep jobs.