Definition
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program is the primary transfer program for disabled workers and their dependents in the United States. It provides partial earnings replacement to disabled workers and health insurance coverage through Medicare. The program awards benefits only for permanent and full disabilities but not for temporary or partial disabilities. To qualify, an individual must have sufficient earnings history, part of which must be recent.
Overview
SSDI was signed into law in 1956. Since then, the program rolls have grown significantly over time. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA 2018a), as of December of 2017, $142.8 billion were paid to 10.4 million beneficiaries (disabled workers and qualified dependents). Approximately 5% of Americans at ages 25–64 receive SSDI benefits. Total cash benefit payments and related...
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Yin, N. (2020). Social Security Disability Insurance. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_373-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_373-1
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