Supplemental Security Income Outreach Evaluation (SSI-OE)

Objective

The Social Security Administration (SSA) initiated many outreach initiatives in response to declines in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these, we are evaluating the Third Party Assistance (TPA) initiative and the Electronic SSA Protective Filing (eSPF) tool.

  • TPA involves community-based organizations, community legal aid organizations, faith-based groups, and social services organizations working with SSA staff to help potential applicants apply for SSI.
  • eSPF is a public-facing web tool which allows individuals to submit a request for an appointment to file for SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits as well as record a protective filing date.
The objective of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, administration, and efficiency of these initiatives.

Status

We awarded the project contract to Mathematica and held the kick-off meeting in July 2024. We expect to complete the project within 4 years. The first-year activities include conducting exploratory activities to inform the evaluation design and Paperwork Reduction Act clearance. The second- and third-year activities include collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data. The final year activities include disseminating and presenting the evaluation results.

We will collect and analyze qualitative data through reviewing materials and conducting interviews with SSI initiative users, TPA partners, and SSA staff. Quantitative data collection and analysis include analyzing existing SSA administrative data, publicly available survey data, and existing survey data of TPA organizations. Throughout the project, we will implement equitable evaluation and participatory research methods.

In late 2024, Mathematica is holding virtual listening sessions with people with personal experience applying for SSI, their family members, and staff of third-party partners or other organizations that support people applying to SSI. More information about the listening sessions is available on our SSI-OE Listening Sessions page. 

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