Projects

Policy Evaluation of the Effect of the 1996 Welfare Legislation on SSI Benefits for Disabled Children

Project Investigator/Key Staff: Jeannette Rogowski (PI), Lynn Karoly (Co-PI)

Sponsor: Social Security Administration (SSA)

Time Period: September 15, 1997 - June 30, 2001

Additional Information: http://www.rand.org/labor/ssi.html

To evaluate how the 1996 welfare reform legislation--which changed the definition of disability used to determine eligibility for disabled children under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and required a redetermination of eligibility status for children potentially affected by the new definition--affects SSI caseloads and costs, and how the law affects children and their families.

The evaluation focuses on determining (1) the impact of the 1996 PRWORA legislation on disabled children who were receiving SSI benefits prior to PRWORA; (2) how many children would have come onto the rolls but did not because of changes in SSI eligibility rules for children with disabilities; and (3) the characteristics of children who are affected by the legislation. The study includes analyses of SSA administrative data, nationally representative secondary databases, and case study interviews in four states.

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Status: Ongoing

Publications: Background and Study Design Report for Policy Evaluation of the Effect of the 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation on SSI Benefits for Disabled Children, DRU-1808-SSA, April 1998 (abstract/order)