Social Security Administration Programs

Empowering Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence.

Section II. Background Information and Methodology

Environmental Scan

Social Security Administration Programs. The following information describes Ohio statistics regarding the number of beneficiaries and the amount spent on disability benefits by the Social Security Administration. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) distributes funds to adults and children with disabilities who have limited income or are 65 years of age or older who meet financial limits. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is paid to individuals and family members if they worked for a specific amount of time and paid taxes. Table 6 and Table 7 provide the number of Ohioans who received federally administered SSI and SSDI payments in 2014 and 2017. (Social Security Administration, 2018)

Table 6 - Ohio SSI - Number, Average Monthly Benefit Payments (in thousands of dollars), and Category of Disability Beneficiary: 2014 vs. 2017

Classification	2014		2017		Change (2014 v 2017)
Classification	Number	Payments	Number	Payments	Number	Payments
Aged	15,226	$5,715	16,318	$6,434	7.2%	12.6%
Blind	1,881	$1,007	2,022	$1,099	7.5%	9.1%
Disabled	296,152	$173,010	292,149	$173,578	-1.4%	0.3%
Total	313,259	$179,732	310,489	$181,111	-0.9%	0.8%

Table 7 - Ohio SSDI - Number, Average Monthly Benefit Payments (in thousands of dollars), and Category of Disability Beneficiary: 2014 vs. 2017

Disability Benefit Classification	2014		2017		Change (2014 v 2017)
Disability Benefit Classification	Number	Payments	Number	Payments	Number	Payments
Workers	356,270	$324,624	351,027	$333,228	-1.5%	2.7%
Adult Children	166,740	$151,929	161,125	$152,955	-3.4%	0.7%
Widow(er)s and Parents	195,124	$246,681	183,442	$242,018	-6.0%	-1.9%
Total	718,134	$723,234	695,594	$728,201	-3.1%	0.7%

Workers with disabilities accounted for the smallest percentage change for beneficiaries receiving SSDI from 2014 to 2017. There was a 1.5 percent decrease in the number of workers who are classified as beneficiaries, as compared to the total population receiving federally administered payments. The number of applications for benefits for workers with disabilities per month from 1996 to 2017 in the U.S. is displayed in Chart 1 below. There was a steady upward trend in the number of monthly applications for SSDI by workers with disabilities from 1998 through 2012. Since that time, the trend has reversed with applications in steady decline over the last five years.

Chart 1 - SSDI - U.S. Disabled Worker Beneficiary Trend Disabled Worker Data (in thousands)

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/dibGraphs.html

Chart 2 - SSDI - U.S. Number in Current Payment Status at End of Month (in thousands) Line chart showing the number of individuals in the U.S. in current payment status for SSDI benefits at the end of each month from 1996 to 2018. The number of individuals rose from approximately 4,200,000 in 1996 to approximately 8,700,000 in 2018.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/dibGraphs.html

Chart 1 above represents the 20-year U.S. trend of SSDI applications and awards made as a twelve month moving average. Chart 2 shows the number of SSDI beneficiaries receiving payments over the same time period. Despite a steady upward trend over the majority of the past two decades, both charts show a declining trend in recent years. (Social Security Administration, 2018). Table 8 below shows the trends of Ohio’s SSI recipients between 2006 and 2016. The trend of the percentage of SSI recipients working has continued to trend downward from 7.2 percent in 2006 to 6.3 percent in 2016.

Table 8 - Ohio: Number and Employment of SSI Recipients: 2006 - 2016

	2006	2008	2010	2012	2014	2016
# of SSI Recipients with Disabilities	238,810	254,015	273,627	292,153	301,169	298,510
# of SSI Recipients with Disabilities Working	17,170	17,366	16,573	17,415	17,715	18,946
% of SSI Recipients with Disabilities Working	7.2%	6.8%	6.1%	6.0%	5.9%	6.3%
SSI Recipients with Disabilities as a % of Population	2.1%	2.2%	2.4%	2.5%	2.6%	2.6%
Population*	11,478,006	11,485,910	11,539,282	11,546,969	11,593,741	11,622,554
SSI Applications (Ages 18 - 64)	93,024	97,242	107,724	94,548	73,521	62,076

*Population estimates are for Ohio as of July 1 for each year as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

As part of the Disability Program, SSA completed Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) each year to ensure that only those beneficiaries and recipients who are still disabled continue to receive monthly benefits. These reviews can result in a cessation of benefits, mostly due to medical improvement and the ability to work.

Based on the Social Security Administration Annual Performance Report 2017 – 2019, the target number of CDRs nationally increased from 790,000 in 2015 to 850,000 in 2017. Specifically, for the Ohio Disability Determination Service, Chart 3 below shows the annual CDR targets and actual determinations completed from 2012 through September 2017. (OOD – Division of Disability Determination)

Chart 3 - Ohio: Continuing Disability Reviews Goals and Actual Determinations 2012 - 2017