Pre-Application Activities of Social Security Disability Insurance Applicants

Recent interest among policymakers in helping Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
beneficiaries return to work has increased the desire for knowledge about the employment activities of
people with disabilities before they apply for benefits. Learning about the participation of applicants
in programs designed to support employment and provide income supports may offer opportunities for
early intervention to enable them to remain employed. In this brief, we summarize results from a
working paper, conducted through the Social Security Administration’s Disability Research
Consortium, on the experiences of SSDI applicants before they apply for SSDI.