2023 ICAP Projects

On May 31, 2023, we published a Request For Applications (RFA) for the third round ICAP on Grants.gov. On September 28, 2023, SSA issued awards for Round 3 of the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP). Awards were granted to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab.

We awarded $3,000,000 to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of assisting potentially eligible individuals in their efforts to acquire SSA Disability Benefits while they are actively engaged in employment or actively seeking employment. 

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is partnering with the National Disability Institute, Center for Public Health Innovation at CI International, Easter Seals Colorado, Center for Independence, and many more organizations. The target population will be individuals with disabilities (18-64 years old) in Colorado and those who are potentially eligible for DI/SSI programs but have not yet applied, individuals with pending DI/SSI determinations, or individuals in the process of appealing DI/SSI determinations. The control group will receive resources to facilitate their applications for DI/SSI or appeals of decisions related to DI/SSI applications as well as resources for employment and benefits planning services. The treatment group will receive services from a team of three providers: a SOAR/non-attorney representative, a Community Partner Work Incentive Coordinator, and an Employment Specialist.

We awarded $3,000,000 to the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab to conduct a three-phased randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of promoting the take-up and use of Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account for SSI recipients to improve their financial security and self-sufficiency, and ultimately their employment outcomes.

The University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab is partnering with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and Ascensus Community Services. The target population will be SSI recipients (18-59) in Illinois who have disability onset prior to the age of 27. In Phase 1, the control group will not receive anything, whereas the treatment group will receive information about ABLE accounts. In Phase 2, among individuals who completed a survey, the control group will not receive any incentives, whereas the treatment group will receive financial incentive of $250 upon the establishment of a new ABLE accounts. In Phase 3, among individuals who opened a new ABLE account, the control group will not receive any incentives, while the treatment group will receive a 1:1 matching fund, which can amount to a maximum of $500, applied to new contributions made to their respective ABLE accounts.