U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Policy.
SSI Disabled Recipients Who Work, 2005
 

Blind and Disabled Recipients

Charts

Tables

Chart 1.
Number who work, December 1987–2005

The number of blind and disabled recipients who work almost doubled between 1987 and 2005, from 173,000 to 337,000. 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 more than 69 percent.

SOURCE: Tables 1 and 9.
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Chart 2.
Percentage who work, by state, December 2005

In 13 of the 50 states, mostly in the South and Southeast, less than 5 percent of blind and disabled recipients were working in December 2005. The highest employment rates, 15 percent or more, were in the upper Midwest: Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

SOURCE: Table 2.
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Table 1.
Number and percentage who work, selected months, 1976–2005
Month All blind
and disabled
recipients a		 Recipients who work
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
2004 5,850,359 328,204 254,523 73,681 5.6
2005 5,977,788 336,570 258,365 78,205 5.6
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
2004
March 5,796,837 321,030 251,498 69,532 5.5
June 5,834,265 323,624 250,726 72,898 5.5
September 5,869,004 328,831 253,174 75,657 5.6
December 5,850,359 328,204 254,523 73,681 5.6
2005
March 5,919,765 325,357 251,110 74,247 5.5
June 5,946,966 333,089 253,721 79,368 5.6
September 5,966,290 337,325 257,191 80,134 5.7
December 5,977,788 336,570 258,365 78,205 5.6
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
NOTE: . . . = 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 ($860 effective January 2006).
CONTACT: Clark Pickett (410) 965-9016 or ssi.workers@ssa.gov.
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Table 2.
Number and percentage who work, by state or other area, December 2005
State or area All blind
and disabled
recipients		 Recipients who work
Number Percentage
of all blind
and disabled
recipients
All areas 5,977,788 336,570 5.6
Alabama 146,839 4,059 2.8
Alaska 9,055 597 6.6
Arizona 85,381 3,919 4.6
Arkansas 82,046 3,700 4.5
California 864,099 44,807 5.2
Colorado 47,743 4,016 8.4
Connecticut 46,446 3,825 8.2
Delaware 12,600 890 7.1
District of Columbia 19,433 720 3.7
Florida 327,657 12,752 3.9
Georgia 176,985 7,145 4.0
Hawaii 16,421 893 5.4
Idaho 20,940 1,892 9.0
Illinois 231,183 13,534 5.9
Indiana 94,133 5,755 6.1
Iowa 41,272 6,690 16.2
Kansas 36,792 4,101 11.1
Kentucky 167,213 4,749 2.8
Louisiana 139,585 5,271 3.8
Maine 30,165 2,160 7.2
Maryland 80,596 6,032 7.5
Massachusetts 129,792 9,505 7.3
Michigan 208,237 13,526 6.5
Minnesota 65,107 9,976 15.3
Mississippi 110,205 3,088 2.8
Missouri 109,850 7,299 6.6
Montana 14,084 1,805 12.8
Nebraska 20,898 3,046 14.6
Nevada 24,878 1,689 6.8
New Hampshire 13,134 1,283 9.8
New Jersey 120,669 7,683 6.4
New Mexico 45,810 2,259 4.9
New York 507,304 30,609 6.0
North Carolina 175,678 8,202 4.7
North Dakota 7,276 1,346 18.5
Ohio 238,161 16,792 7.1
Oklahoma 72,296 3,971 5.5
Oregon 53,790 4,064 7.6
Pennsylvania 291,744 15,472 5.3
Rhode Island 26,662 1,683 6.3
South Carolina 93,917 4,883 5.2
South Dakota 11,357 2,061 18.1
Tennessee 145,366 5,210 3.6
Texas 395,498 14,113 3.6
Utah 20,861 2,263 10.8
Vermont 12,381 1,157 9.3
Virginia 118,210 6,852 5.8
Washington 102,768 6,042 5.9
West Virginia 73,019 2,166 3.0
Wisconsin 86,049 10,171 11.8
Wyoming 5,576 836 15.0
Outlying area
Northern Mariana Islands 627 11 1.8
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.
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Table 3.
Percentage distribution of recipients and those who work aged 18–64, by diagnostic group, December 2005
Diagnostic group All blind
and disabled
recipients		 Recipients
who work a
Total
Number 4,082,870 321,327
Percent 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies 0.6 1.4
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 3.5 1.3
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1.6 1.0
Injuries 2.6 1.4
Mental disorders
Retardation 21.7 41.5
Schizophrenia 9.9 7.1
Other 26.1 17.6
Neoplasms 1.1 0.7
Diseases of the—
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.4 0.4
Circulatory system 4.5 1.2
Digestive system 0.9 0.4
Genitourinary system 1.0 0.6
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 10.2 3.4
Nervous system and sense organs b 7.8 9.0
Respiratory system 2.1 0.7
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.2 0.1
Other 0.2 0.3
Unknown 5.6 12.2
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Record (Characteristic Extract Record format), 100 percent data.
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.
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Table 4.
Number and percentage of recipients, those who work, and section 1619(b) participants aged 18–64, by age, December 2005
Age All blind and
disabled recipients a		 Recipients who work Section 1619(b) participants
Number Percent Number Percentage
of all blind
and disabled
recipients		 Number Percentage
of all blind
and disabled
recipients
Total 4,158,453 100.0 321,327 7.7 75,583 1.8
18–21 285,640 6.9 32,658 11.4 3,176 1.1
22–29 520,247 12.5 79,819 15.3 19,252 3.7
30–39 681,095 16.4 76,150 11.2 20,653 3.0
40–49 1,061,793 25.5 72,837 6.9 19,234 1.8
50–59 1,123,466 27.0 46,716 4.2 10,379 0.9
60–64 486,212 11.7 13,147 2.7 2,889 0.6
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.
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Table 5.
Number in December 2004, by program status and earnings in December 2005
Program status
in December 2004		 Total Receiving payments
in December 2005		 Not receiving payments
in December 2005
Section
1619(a)		 Have
earnings		 No
earnings		 Ineligible because of earned income Other
excess
income		 Other
nonpay
Section
1619(b)		 Reasons no longer eligible
Do not
need or use
Medicaid		 Can pay for
equivalent
coverage		 Both
All blind and disabled recipients 5,806,479 16,823 226,942 5,038,249 74,093 741 180 388 128,492 320,571
Receiving payments
Section 1619(a) 17,581 6,589 2,395 3,826 2,504 41 8 23 681 1,514
Have earnings 237,741 2,889 174,133 35,624 8,580 65 11 25 6,977 9,437
No earnings 5,477,369 5,731 46,074 4,987,752 19,750 196 30 74 114,595 303,167
Not receiving payments
Section 1619(b) 73,788 1,614 4,340 11,047 43,259 439 131 266 6,239 6,453
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.
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