Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2021

Benefits Awarded, Withheld, and Terminated

Disabled Workers Who Work

Table 52. Distribution of workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, by diagnostic group and age, December 2021
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
  Number
Total 49,029 3,394 9,587 12,720 15,447 7,881
Congenital anomalies 128 24 45 39 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 778 48 129 195 286 120
Infectious and parasitic diseases 935 27 136 236 407 129
Injuries 2,033 162 448 471 606 346
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 553 294 207 39 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 141 44 50 30 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 32 13 10 (X) (X) 0
Intellectual disorders 1,946 484 773 446 192 51
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 7,689 347 1,632 2,596 2,366 748
Neurocognitive disorders 1,254 129 339 337 323 126
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 2,376 275 764 711 466 160
Other mental disorders 3,154 271 979 1,042 688 174
Neoplasms 4,380 289 672 905 1,538 976
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 382 75 143 76 57 31
Circulatory system 2,258 49 221 473 896 619
Digestive system 1,120 66 186 325 364 179
Genitourinary system 2,194 142 538 689 647 178
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 11,118 133 790 2,217 4,665 3,313
Nervous system and sense organs 5,239 455 1,313 1,559 1,434 478
Respiratory system 765 27 95 156 300 187
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 162 13 43 54 37 15
Other 137 12 25 (X) 31 (X)
Unknown 255 15 49 69 98 24
  Percent
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.3 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.9 1.5
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1.9 0.8 1.4 1.9 2.6 1.6
Injuries 4.1 4.8 4.7 3.7 3.9 4.4
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1.1 8.7 2.2 0.3 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 0.3 1.3 0.5 0.2 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 0.1 0.4 0.1 (X) (X) 0.0
Intellectual disorders 4.0 14.3 8.1 3.5 1.2 0.6
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 15.7 10.2 17.0 20.4 15.3 9.5
Neurocognitive disorders 2.6 3.8 3.5 2.6 2.1 1.6
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 4.8 8.1 8.0 5.6 3.0 2.0
Other mental disorders 6.4 8.0 10.2 8.2 4.5 2.2
Neoplasms 8.9 8.5 7.0 7.1 10.0 12.4
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.8 2.2 1.5 0.6 0.4 0.4
Circulatory system 4.6 1.4 2.3 3.7 5.8 7.9
Digestive system 2.3 1.9 1.9 2.6 2.4 2.3
Genitourinary system 4.5 4.2 5.6 5.4 4.2 2.3
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 22.7 3.9 8.2 17.4 30.2 42.0
Nervous system and sense organs 10.7 13.4 13.7 12.3 9.3 6.1
Respiratory system 1.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.9 2.4
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2
Other 0.3 0.4 0.3 (X) 0.2 (X)
Unknown 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.3
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: These data represent the total number of beneficiaries with benefits withheld in December 2021 regardless of when their benefits were initially withheld.
FRA = full retirement age; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 53. Distribution of workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, by diagnostic group and age, 2021
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
  Number
Total 65,533 3,045 14,138 18,441 19,714 10,195
Congenital anomalies 209 23 78 70 34 4
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1,203 38 154 350 438 223
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,493 24 243 432 586 208
Injuries 2,298 102 486 591 688 431
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 890 321 448 96 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 281 62 134 57 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 37 (X) 14 15 (X) 0
Intellectual disorders 5,692 691 2,348 1,621 842 190
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 11,869 313 2,476 4,093 3,645 1,342
Neurocognitive disorders 2,204 150 649 617 544 244
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 3,619 166 1,098 1,186 896 273
Other mental disorders 4,485 273 1,410 1,486 1,002 314
Neoplasms 2,703 121 410 580 947 645
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 521 97 202 124 72 26
Circulatory system 2,486 28 232 515 938 773
Digestive system 1,032 42 209 267 333 181
Genitourinary system 2,372 87 552 824 712 197
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 12,848 81 835 2,548 5,312 4,072
Nervous system and sense organs 7,709 372 1,884 2,543 2,179 731
Respiratory system 852 17 103 204 305 223
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 206 7 64 66 54 15
Other 159 (X) 48 46 41 (X)
Unknown 365 14 61 110 95 85
  Percent
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 (L)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.8 1.2 1.1 1.9 2.2 2.2
Infectious and parasitic diseases 2.3 0.8 1.7 2.3 3.0 2.0
Injuries 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.5 4.2
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1.4 10.5 3.2 0.5 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 0.4 2.0 0.9 0.3 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 0.1 (X) 0.1 0.1 (X) 0.0
Intellectual disorders 8.7 22.7 16.6 8.8 4.3 1.9
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 18.1 10.3 17.5 22.2 18.5 13.2
Neurocognitive disorders 3.4 4.9 4.6 3.3 2.8 2.4
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 5.5 5.5 7.8 6.4 4.5 2.7
Other mental disorders 6.8 9.0 10.0 8.1 5.1 3.1
Neoplasms 4.1 4.0 2.9 3.1 4.8 6.3
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.8 3.2 1.4 0.7 0.4 0.3
Circulatory system 3.8 0.9 1.6 2.8 4.8 7.6
Digestive system 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.8
Genitourinary system 3.6 2.9 3.9 4.5 3.6 1.9
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 19.6 2.7 5.9 13.8 26.9 39.9
Nervous system and sense organs 11.8 12.2 13.3 13.8 11.1 7.2
Respiratory system 1.3 0.6 0.7 1.1 1.5 2.2
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.1
Other 0.2 (X) 0.3 0.2 0.2 (X)
Unknown 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.8
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age; (L) = less than 0.05 percent; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 54. Average monthly benefit for workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, by diagnostic group and age, December 2021 (in dollars)
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
Total 1,527.96 1,207.55 1,393.44 1,514.56 1,612.79 1,684.97
Congenital anomalies 1,479.63 1,342.64 1,469.58 1,589.82 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1,456.76 1,277.20 1,398.16 1,447.32 1,484.17 1,541.62
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,528.39 1,410.32 1,306.34 1,479.76 1,594.20 1,668.54
Injuries 1,624.89 1,390.08 1,505.69 1,643.28 1,698.24 1,735.64
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1,134.34 1,096.78 1,150.04 1,279.21 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 1,203.27 1,083.72 1,225.49 1,389.52 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 1,313.87 1,143.85 1,525.33 (X) (X) . . .
Intellectual disorders 1,183.75 1,093.97 1,201.88 1,254.78 1,159.62 1,230.75
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 1,429.67 1,155.72 1,326.91 1,422.65 1,501.27 1,578.86
Neurocognitive disorders 1,453.42 1,169.23 1,349.99 1,485.70 1,598.57 1,564.17
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 1,299.32 1,117.07 1,232.61 1,355.45 1,417.66 1,337.04
Other mental disorders 1,409.04 1,120.15 1,377.40 1,450.56 1,503.26 1,415.74
Neoplasms 1,885.74 1,474.74 1,707.35 1,875.81 1,963.84 2,016.40
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 1,534.57 1,223.76 1,481.75 1,560.08 1,822.95 1,937.33
Circulatory system 1,646.21 1,293.14 1,502.01 1,595.13 1,666.36 1,735.49
Digestive system 1,706.63 1,225.79 1,468.71 1,692.25 1,859.16 1,847.11
Genitourinary system 1,656.80 1,336.78 1,495.19 1,620.40 1,821.40 1,943.15
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 1,534.85 1,250.54 1,425.22 1,470.65 1,539.99 1,608.14
Nervous system and sense organs 1,556.18 1,235.28 1,444.14 1,590.65 1,654.12 1,763.12
Respiratory system 1,560.54 1,295.30 1,515.49 1,471.16 1,557.03 1,701.93
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 1,506.91 1,095.70 1,524.37 1,444.76 1,651.86 1,679.43
Other 1,515.41 1,364.42 1,417.42 (X) 1,404.47 (X)
Unknown 1,560.81 1,233.55 1,376.44 1,539.30 1,649.46 1,841.63
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: FRA = full retirement age; . . . = not applicable; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 55. Average monthly benefit for workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, by diagnostic group and age, 2021 (in dollars)
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
Total 1,369.30 1,219.18 1,261.82 1,335.03 1,428.10 1,511.50
Congenital anomalies 1,304.27 1,217.73 1,256.21 1,351.75 1,431.23 828.66
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1,354.12 1,371.35 1,274.73 1,316.05 1,372.80 1,429.04
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,372.39 1,309.12 1,314.22 1,318.23 1,409.39 1,455.89
Injuries 1,518.51 1,428.93 1,504.36 1,460.64 1,533.37 1,611.29
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1,117.25 1,111.98 1,102.69 1,151.20 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 1,127.89 1,118.49 1,118.14 1,138.56 (X) (X)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 1,244.69 (X) 1,210.84 1,320.47 (X) . . .
Intellectual disorders 1,118.84 1,116.19 1,106.35 1,137.97 1,116.98 1,127.90
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 1,318.76 1,174.03 1,244.84 1,290.77 1,369.04 1,437.71
Neurocognitive disorders 1,315.42 1,141.86 1,213.58 1,311.34 1,417.36 1,476.07
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 1,246.69 1,231.42 1,208.27 1,259.26 1,279.20 1,249.11
Other mental disorders 1,293.25 1,179.79 1,257.55 1,289.71 1,347.20 1,396.75
Neoplasms 1,742.77 1,563.75 1,595.53 1,661.34 1,803.84 1,853.49
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 1,328.41 1,300.70 1,248.30 1,320.06 1,528.52 1,539.84
Circulatory system 1,490.66 1,208.62 1,360.02 1,374.27 1,509.88 1,594.31
Digestive system 1,507.39 1,277.71 1,345.83 1,463.95 1,599.19 1,642.43
Genitourinary system 1,516.91 1,357.19 1,385.47 1,483.76 1,630.30 1,684.66
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 1,425.05 1,272.60 1,358.64 1,382.64 1,413.43 1,483.39
Nervous system and sense organs 1,425.52 1,347.44 1,335.98 1,399.33 1,489.80 1,595.54
Respiratory system 1,350.45 1,247.03 1,281.79 1,292.70 1,375.46 1,408.66
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 1,304.16 1,272.00 1,232.00 1,302.42 1,307.01 1,624.37
Other 1,406.36 (X) 1,331.12 1,337.84 1,483.40 (X)
Unknown 1,374.61 1,208.95 1,191.00 1,345.73 1,361.80 1,585.36
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age; . . . = not applicable; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 56. Distribution, by state or other area, 2021
State or area All workers, December Workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, December Workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, calendar year
Number Percentage of all workers Number Percentage of all workers
All areas 7,877,129 49,029 0.6 65,533 0.8
Alabama 205,681 722 0.4 1,066 0.5
Alaska 11,023 101 0.9 103 0.9
Arizona 141,322 981 0.7 1,372 1.0
Arkansas 125,981 513 0.4 786 0.6
California 565,270 4,632 0.8 5,333 0.9
Colorado 87,507 645 0.7 963 1.1
Connecticut 74,895 508 0.7 640 0.9
Delaware 25,286 191 0.8 245 1.0
District of Columbia 12,097 126 1.0 227 1.9
Florida 520,045 2,480 0.5 3,576 0.7
Georgia 262,794 1,330 0.5 1,986 0.8
Hawaii 19,617 121 0.6 122 0.6
Idaho 41,769 326 0.8 423 1.0
Illinois 251,128 1,596 0.6 2,335 0.9
Indiana 189,432 953 0.5 1,455 0.8
Iowa 74,363 475 0.6 618 0.8
Kansas 66,682 431 0.6 653 1.0
Kentucky 179,822 710 0.4 951 0.5
Louisiana 143,284 757 0.5 1,137 0.8
Maine 50,945 470 0.9 619 1.2
Maryland 116,464 928 0.8 1,282 1.1
Massachusetts 173,945 1,780 1.0 2,411 1.4
Michigan 307,554 1,679 0.5 2,498 0.8
Minnesota 114,022 1,003 0.9 1,377 1.2
Mississippi 114,383 384 0.3 532 0.5
Missouri 194,556 1,074 0.6 1,440 0.7
Montana 24,869 158 0.6 224 0.9
Nebraska 38,910 316 0.8 368 0.9
Nevada 59,661 413 0.7 574 1.0
New Hampshire 43,702 577 1.3 624 1.4
New Jersey 173,632 1,217 0.7 1,502 0.9
New Mexico 58,346 328 0.6 442 0.8
New York 447,428 3,674 0.8 4,279 1.0
North Carolina 296,199 1,223 0.4 1,943 0.7
North Dakota 13,797 107 0.8 147 1.1
Ohio 322,274 1,892 0.6 2,842 0.9
Oklahoma 118,777 578 0.5 714 0.6
Oregon 96,685 719 0.7 833 0.9
Pennsylvania 368,244 2,489 0.7 3,180 0.9
Rhode Island 33,535 252 0.8 287 0.9
South Carolina 161,614 748 0.5 1,071 0.7
South Dakota 17,723 130 0.7 176 1.0
Tennessee 222,515 919 0.4 1,278 0.6
Texas 513,527 3,677 0.7 4,951 1.0
Utah 43,781 364 0.8 474 1.1
Vermont 20,214 172 0.9 245 1.2
Virginia 192,934 1,092 0.6 1,591 0.8
Washington 151,348 1,588 1.0 1,711 1.1
West Virginia 77,602 285 0.4 369 0.5
Wisconsin 147,961 983 0.7 1,275 0.9
Wyoming 12,878 86 0.7 129 1.0
Outlying areas  
Puerto Rico 136,428 85 0.1 116 0.1
Other a 12,678 41 0.3 38 0.3
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
a. Includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and foreign countries.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 57. Distribution, by sex and age, 2021
Age group All workers, December Workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, December Workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, calendar year
Number Percentage of all workers Number Percentage of all workers
  All disabled workers
Total 7,877,129 49,029 0.6 65,533 0.8
Under 30 115,580 3,394 2.9 3,045 2.6
30–39 484,385 9,587 2.0 14,138 2.9
40–49 1,101,831 12,720 1.2 18,441 1.7
50–59 2,875,763 15,447 0.5 19,714 0.7
60–FRA 3,299,570 7,881 0.2 10,195 0.3
  Men
Subtotal 3,951,068 26,158 0.7 33,111 0.8
Under 30 68,089 2,080 3.1 1,931 2.8
30–39 259,603 5,585 2.2 7,922 3.1
40–49 539,106 6,388 1.2 8,639 1.6
50–59 1,411,372 7,754 0.5 9,439 0.7
60–FRA 1,672,898 4,351 0.3 5,180 0.3
  Women
Subtotal 3,926,061 22,871 0.6 32,422 0.8
Under 30 47,491 1,314 2.8 1,114 2.3
30–39 224,782 4,002 1.8 6,216 2.8
40–49 562,725 6,332 1.1 9,802 1.7
50–59 1,464,391 7,693 0.5 10,275 0.7
60–FRA 1,626,672 3,530 0.2 5,015 0.3
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 58. Work-incentive utilization among disabled workers, 2016–2020
Work-incentive category 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 a
Workers who participated in a trial work period (TWP) 250,924 250,433 253,134 229,725 145,395
Started a TWP 141,697 141,387 142,205 124,743 65,809
Completed a TWP 103,689 104,139 110,555 105,119 72,684
Workers with at least 1 suspension month because of earnings above the substantial gainful activity level
Extended period of eligibility 152,716 157,242 168,824 171,657 148,494
Initial reinstatement period 6,162 6,696 7,436 7,090 5,357
Favorable decision on expedited reinstatement request 10,488 10,676 10,956 9,369 7,045
Workers using miscellaneous work incentives for at least 1 month
Impairment-related work expenses 10,817 10,134 9,304 7,954 5,313
Subsidies 27,052 25,848 24,435 21,177 15,041
Special conditions 3,914 3,800 3,717 3,056 2,680
Unsuccessful work attempts 18,229 18,024 19,361 18,609 13,982
SOURCE: Disability Control File, September 2022.
a. Approximately 10 percent of work-related continuing disability reviews (CDRs) for earnings in 2020 are still in progress; all other years are subject to change because of work-related CDR processing that may address work activity in previous years.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.