Applications received in 1987 and allowance rates for supplemental security income

Since the inception of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program in 1974, counts of the numbers of cases processed and individuals who were awarded SSI payments have been available. This study breaks new ground, however, by using administrative data to describe in greater detail the characteristics of persons who applied for SSI over a 1-year period. The information on allowance rates is unique because, for the first time, the data have been gathered from the same set of applications. This article tracks the application process to determine whether or not benefits were subsequently received by these SSI applicants in the ensuing 18 months. Of the 1.2 million persons who applied for SSI during the study period, a large proportion were disabled. Among persons whose application was based on age, a greater proportion applied when they attained age 65 than at any other age and they were the most likely to qualify for payments under the program. The data also show how many of the 1.2 million applicants had previously been SSI recipients. In addition to providing demographic and SSI data, the allowance rates are useful in predicting trends in the composition of the caseload.