Congratulations to our affiliates—Naoki Aizawa, Katie Jajtner, Corina Mommaerts, Stephanie Robert, Tim Smeeding, and Yang Wang—who received funding from the Center for Financial Security for projects that address the financial well-being of economically vulnerable populations.
The Effect of Public Policies on Work Disability
Researchers: Katie Jajtner and Yang Wang
The study estimates the impact of childhood exposure to three welfare-enhancing policies—Medicaid, Food Stamps, and the Earned Income Tax Credit—on work disability in adulthood. Work disability is characterized by duration and severity, with more chronic and severe conditions identifying individuals at a higher risk of applying to and claiming Disability Insurance.
Exploring Worker and Firm Characteristics that Drive Use of Accommodation for Workers with Disabilities
Researchers: Corina Mommaerts, Naoki Aizawa, and Stephanie Rennane
Returning to work after disability is a decision that workers make based on their ability to perform their job as well as economic and institutional factors. However, worker choices may also depend on employer decisions to accommodate and retain workers with health limitations. Recent estimates suggest that nearly half of workers who would benefit from accommodation do not receive it. While several studies have focused on financial incentives for workers to return to work, little is known about firm accommodation decisions, why workers do not receive needed accommodations, and what role employers may play in promoting accommodation and return to work. This project examines the characteristics of workers and employers who participate in three unique accommodation programs in Oregon’s workers’ compensation system to address these open questions.
Social Security Interactions with Child Tax Credit Expansion
Researchers: Timothy Smeeding, Madelaine L’Esperance, and Jevay Grooms
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 significantly expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC), increasing the number of eligible children and payment amounts with advance monthly payments that began in July 2021. Using Current Population Survey and Survey of Income and Program Participation data, this project will simulate CTC eligibility and its effects on income and poverty among Supplemental Security Income (SSI) child beneficiaries, and SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance, or Old Age and Survivor Insurance adult beneficiaries with dependent children following the CTC expansion.
The Geography of Long-Term Care: Implications for SSI and Understanding Disparities in Living Arrangements among Older Adults
Researchers: Mary Hamman, Stephanie Robert, Gargi Chaudhur, and Milanika Turner
Roughly 70% of older adults will need long-term care over their lifetimes. Surveys indicate most prefer community settings, like adult day care or assisted living, over nursing homes. However, research reveals that Black older adults are overrepresented in nursing homes and underrepresented in assisted living. It could be that community-based care options are less likely to be in communities of color, and this lack of local options may contribute to racial disparities. Using a national business database spanning 1998-2019, this project explores the locations of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult day centers in the context of the local demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of communities. The researchers will also examine potential correlations between care locations and local policies and practices, including state and local Medicaid long-term care policies, state supplements to federal Supplemental Security Income, and historical redlining practices that have legacy impacts on home values in local communities.