Financial Implications of Half- and Full-Time Employment for Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

Increased financial well-being is often assumed to be a benefit of full-time employment for handicapped individuals. However, there is some evidence that this is not true. In this study a balance sheet approach was utilized to examine the financial implications of part-time and full-time employment for persons with handicaps. Balance sheets (income versus expenses) were developed for three income levels: no earned income, income from a part-time (20 hours a week) job, and income from a full-time (40 hours a week) job. The results indicated that net disposable income was comparable for individuals working part time when compared to individuals working full time. In either case, the net disposable income is no more than $3,000 over the net disposable income for an unemployed person. This provides evidence that there is an absence of financial incentives for full-time employment and suggests that persons with disabilities should carefully consider the financial effects of potential employment.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Welfare. (1985, September). Income maintenance bulletin (No. 00-85-20). Harrisburg, PA: Author.

Goodall

P. A.

Wehman

, & Cleveland

(1983). Job placement for mentally retarded individuals. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 18(4), 271–278.

Hill

Wehman

, & Banks

P. D.

(1985). An analysis of monetary and nonmonetary outcomes associated with competitive employment of mentally retarded persons. In Wehman

& Hill

J. W.

(Eds.), Competitive employment for persons with mental retardation: From research to practice (Vol. 1, pp. 110–133). Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth University.

Hill

J. W.

Seyfarth

J. P.

Orelove

Wehman

, & Banks

P. D.

(1985). Parent/guardian attitudes toward the working conditions of their mentally retarded children. In Wehman

& Hill

J. W.

(Eds.), Competitive employment for persons with mental retardation: From research to practice (Vol. 1, pp. 285–314). Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth University.

Hill

, & Wehman

(1983). Cost and benefit analysis of placing moderately and severely handicapped individuals into comprehensive employment. Journal of the Association for the Severely Handicapped, 8(1), 30–38.

Hommerztheim

D. L.

, & Schuermann

A. C.

(1980). Economic disincentives to rehabilitation. In Weisgerber

R. A.

Dahl

P. R.

, & Appleby

J. A.

(eds.), Training the handicapped for productive employment (pp. 365–375). Rockville, MD: Aspen Systems.

McAfee

J. K.

, & Mann

(1982). The prognosis for mildly handicapped students. In Miller

T. L.

& Davis

(Eds.), The mildly handicapped student. New York: Grune & Stratton.

Scott

J. L.

, & Sarkees

M. D.

(1982). Vocational special needs (2nd ed.). Alsip, IL: Technical Publishers.

Seyfarth

Hill

J. W.

Orelove

McMillan

, & Wehman

(1985). Factors influencing parents' vocational aspirations for their retarded children. In Wehman

& Hill

J. W.

(Eds.), Competitive employment for persons with mental retardation: From research to practice (Vol. 1, pp. 315–331). Richmond: Virginia Commonwealth University.

10.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (1984). Food stamp program: Regulations pertinent to authorized forms (Sept. 30, 1984 ed.). (#1984-524-599). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

11.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. (1985). Statistical abstract of the U.S. (105th ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

12.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1985a). Disability benefits and work (April 1985 ed.). (SSA Publication No. 05–10095). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

13.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1985b). SSI for aged, disabled, and blind people (February 1985 ed.). (SSA Publication No. 05–11000). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

14.

U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. (1979). Data on the Medicaid program: Eligibility, services, expenditures. (HCFA 79–20005). Baltimore, MD: The Health Care Financing Administration.

15.

Wall

R. T.

Masson

, & Werner

T. J.

(1977). Negative incentives to vocational rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Literature, 38(5), 143–150.