SSI Disabled Recipients Who Work, December 2003

Blind and Disabled Recipients

Chart 1. Number who work, December 1987–2003

The number of blind and disabled recipients who work almost doubled between 1987 and 2003, from 173,000 to 324,000. Initially, the number of participants under sections 1619(a) and 1619(b) were approximately equal. However, participation under section 1619(b) gradually increased to five times the initial total, and it now exceeds participation under section 1619(a) by more than four to one. The number of working recipients not participating under either of these provisions has increased by almost 65 percent.

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Table equivalent for Chart 1. Number who work, December 1987–2003 (thousands)
Year	1619(a)	1619(b)	Other
1987	14.56	15.63	142.66
1988	19.92	15.63	153.60
1989	25.66	18.25	161.93
1990	13.99	23.52	182.42
1991	15.53	27.26	186.82
1992	17.60	31.65	199.67
1993	20.03	35.30	210.32
1994	24.32	40.68	217.48
1995	28.06	47.00	223.57
1996	31.09	51.91	225.31
1997	34.67	57.09	228.09
1998	37.27	59.54	229.66
1999	25.53	69.27	245.83
2000	27.54	83.57	249.31
2001	22.10	76.46	247.56
2002	17.27	82.18	241.46
2003	17.13	71.10	235.45

SOURCE: Tables 1 and 9.

Chart 2. Percentage who work, by state, December 2003

In 14 states, mostly in the South and Southeast, less than 5 percent of blind and disabled recipients were working in December 2003. The highest employment rates, 15 percent or more, were in the upper Midwest: Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Map linked to data in table format, provided in the Percentage of all blind and disabled recipients column of Table 2.

SOURCE: Table 2.

Table 1. Number and percentage who work, selected months, 1976–2003
Month	All blind and disabled recipients ^a	Recipients who work
Month	All blind and disabled recipients ^a	Total	Receiving SSI ^b	Section 1619(b) participants	Total as a percentage of all blind and disabled recipients
December
1976	2,088,242	70,719	70,719	. . .	3.4
1977	2,186,771	83,697	83,697	. . .	3.8
1978	2,249,025	87,697	87,697	. . .	3.9
1979	2,277,859	92,270	92,270	. . .	4.1
1980	2,334,241	99,276	99,276	. . .	4.3
1981	2,340,785	102,632	102,632	. . .	4.4
1982	2,314,364	107,803	102,288	5,515	4.7
1983	2,391,262	113,899	108,734	5,165	4.8
1984	2,499,046	--	--	--	--
1985	2,633,552	--	--	--	--
1986	2,795,756	--	--	--	--
1987	2,945,244	172,855	157,223	15,632	5.9
1988	3,046,074	189,144	173,519	15,625	6.2
1989	3,172,270	205,837	187,583	18,254	6.5
1990	3,386,603	219,932	196,415	23,517	6.5
1991	3,681,050	229,619	202,355	27,264	6.2
1992	4,126,816	248,917	217,268	31,649	6.0
1993	4,544,777	265,649	230,350	35,299	5.8
1994	4,870,564	282,476	241,793	40,683	5.8
1995	5,115,014	298,635	251,633	47,002	5.8
1996	5,252,991	308,300	256,395	51,905	5.9
1997	5,189,724	319,855	262,766	57,089	6.2
1998	5,293,829	326,475	266,933	59,542	6.2
1999	5,317,861	340,618	271,353	69,265	6.4
2000	5,395,935	360,427	276,855	83,572	6.7
2001	5,500,481	346,110	269,655	76,455	6.3
2002	5,618,506	340,910	258,733	82,177	6.1
2003	5,740,683	323,682	252,585	71,097	5.6
2001
March	5,423,974	352,940	274,283	78,657	6.5
June	5,448,865	353,336	275,435	77,901	6.5
September	5,493,302	353,207	274,664	78,543	6.4
December	5,500,481	346,110	269,655	76,455	6.3
2002
March	5,538,532	339,430	266,835	72,595	6.1
June	5,573,711	342,946	265,597	77,349	6.2
September	5,620,838	348,244	265,871	82,373	6.2
December	5,618,506	340,910	258,733	82,177	6.1
2003
March	5,657,353	334,378	259,820	74,558	5.9
June	5,705,871	329,740	257,724	72,016	5.8
September	5,749,384	329,195	255,619	73,576	5.7
December	5,740,683	323,682	252,585	71,097	5.6
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
NOTES: . . . = not applicable; -- = not available.
a. Includes section 1619(b) participants.
b. Includes section 1619(a) participants and SSI recipients earning less than the substantial gainful activity level ($810 effective January 2004).
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.

Table 2. Number and percentage who work, by state or other area, December 2003
State or area	All blind and disabled recipients	Recipients who work
State or area	All blind and disabled recipients	Number	Percentage of all blind and disabled recipients
All areas	5,740,683	323,682	5.6
Alabama	143,652	3,714	2.6
Alaska	8,563	574	6.7
Arizona	79,323	3,423	4.3
Arkansas	76,104	3,405	4.5
California	823,311	42,178	5.1
Colorado	46,258	3,931	8.5
Connecticut	45,272	3,842	8.5
Delaware	11,868	804	6.8
District of Columbia	18,468	663	3.6
Florida	317,008	11,080	3.5
Georgia	171,498	6,990	4.1
Hawaii	15,371	746	4.9
Idaho	18,965	1,674	8.8
Illinois	227,261	12,999	5.7
Indiana	89,079	5,713	6.4
Iowa	39,519	6,567	16.6
Kansas	35,265	3,920	11.1
Kentucky	164,292	4,593	2.8
Louisiana	148,516	5,454	3.7
Maine	29,300	2,206	7.5
Maryland	76,649	5,602	7.3
Massachusetts	126,234	9,671	7.7
Michigan	202,241	13,947	6.9
Minnesota	61,211	9,222	15.1
Mississippi	109,546	3,054	2.8
Missouri	106,172	7,163	6.7
Montana	13,520	1,694	12.5
Nebraska	20,276	2,934	14.5
Nevada	23,234	1,329	5.7
New Hampshire	12,113	1,248	10.3
New Jersey	117,604	7,605	6.5
New Mexico	42,045	2,142	5.1
New York	496,449	29,742	6.0
North Carolina	167,763	7,674	4.6
North Dakota	7,234	1,332	18.4
Ohio	230,708	16,582	7.2
Oklahoma	66,830	3,579	5.4
Oregon	50,785	3,826	7.5
Pennsylvania	281,345	15,481	5.5
Rhode Island	25,409	1,668	6.6
South Carolina	92,588	4,786	5.2
South Dakota	11,272	2,089	18.5
Tennessee	143,580	5,242	3.7
Texas	346,934	13,594	3.9
Utah	19,648	2,112	10.7
Vermont	11,884	1,071	9.0
Virginia	112,893	6,260	5.5
Washington	96,425	5,594	5.8
West Virginia	70,987	1,976	2.8
Wisconsin	82,278	10,211	12.4
Wyoming	5,359	760	14.2
Outlying area
Northern Mariana Islands	574	16	2.8
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
NOTE: Includes section 1619(b) participants.
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.

Table 3. Percentage distribution of recipients and those who work aged 18–64, by diagnostic group, December 2003
Diagnostic group	All blind and disabled recipients	Recipients who work ^a
Total
Number	3,953,224	308,347
Percent	100.0	100.0
Congenital anomalies	0.6	1.2
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases	3.9	1.3
Infectious and parasitic diseases	1.7	0.9
Injuries	2.6	1.3
Mental disorders
Retardation	22.0	42.5
Schizophrenia	10.0	7.3
Other	24.3	15.2
Neoplasms	1.1	0.6
Diseases of the—
Blood and blood-forming organs	0.4	0.3
Circulatory system	4.7	1.2
Digestive system	0.9	0.3
Genitourinary system	1.1	0.6
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue	9.7	3.0
Nervous system and sense organs ^b	7.8	8.6
Respiratory system	2.1	0.7
Skin and subcutaneous tissue	0.2	0.1
Other	0.2	0.3
Unknown	6.9	14.6
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
NOTE: Effective with the December 2002 edition, all recipients in each recipient category are included when computing percentages for each diagnostic category. Previously, only recipients with identified diagnoses were included in this computation.
a. Includes section 1619(b) participants.
b. Most disabled recipients classified as blind are included in this category. A few blind recipients with a primary impairment other than diseases of the eye are coded in other categories. Also, a few recipients are classified with diseases of the eye, but their impairment does not meet the definition of blindness.
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.

Table 4. Number and percentage of recipients, those who work, and section 1619(b) participants aged 18–64, by age, December 2003
Age	All blind and disabled recipients ^a		Recipients who work		Section 1619(b) participants
Age	Number	Percent	Number	Percentage of all blind and disabled recipients	Number	Percentage of all blind and disabled recipients
Total	4,021,956	100.0	308,347	7.7	68,708	1.7
18–21	259,361	6.4	29,137	11.2	2,842	1.1
22–29	489,209	12.2	72,943	14.9	17,222	3.5
30–39	717,099	17.8	80,117	11.2	20,243	2.8
40–49	1,042,586	25.9	71,128	6.8	17,261	1.7
50–59	1,035,216	25.7	42,504	4.1	8,702	0.8
60–64	478,485	11.9	12,518	2.6	2,438	0.5
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
a. Includes section 1619(b) participants.
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.

Table 5. Number in September 2003, by program status and earnings in December 2003
Program status in September 2003	Total	Receiving payments in December 2003			Not receiving payments in December 2003
		Section 1619(a)	Have earnings	No earnings	Ineligible because of earned income				Other excess income	Other non-pay
					Section 1619(b)	Reasons no longer eligible
					Section 1619(b)	Does not need or use Medicaid	Can pay for equivalent coverage	Both
All blind and disabled recipients	5,672,313	16,639	230,521	5,126,143	69,285	510	59	187	57,695	171,274
Receiving payments
Section 1619(a)	16,949	9,782	2,316	1,935	1,916	27	1	9	216	747
Have earnings	243,068	2,608	209,506	16,484	4,491	47	4	9	2,121	7,798
No earnings	5,337,724	1,901	15,460	5,102,321	6,481	65	7	22	51,776	159,691
Not receiving payments
Section 1619(b)	74,572	2,348	3,239	5,403	56,397	371	47	147	3,582	3,038
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.