Using administrative data to explore the employment and benefit receipt outcomes of vocational rehabilitation applicants years after program exit

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation (VR) helps people with disabilities achieve employment. VR administrative data only capture whether VR service recipients were employed at program exit, making it difficult to measure whether employment is sustained.

OBJECTIVE: This study used linked administrative data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to explore the employment, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment receipt, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit receipt outcomes of VR applicants during the first seven calendar years after program exit.

METHODS: The analysis sample included all VR case closures from 2004 through 2006. We linked the RSA-911 file to SSA’s Disability Analysis File and Master Earnings File to measure outcomes. Regression analysis controlled for observable characteristics.

RESULTS: Applicants exiting with employment were most likely to be employed or have SSI or SSDI benefits suspended over the subsequent seven years. Those who did not receive services had better outcomes than those who received services but exited without employment. Interestingly, SSDI non-beneficiaries who were working at program exit were more likely than others to eventually receive SSDI.

CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between employment status at closure and future outcomes provides an opportunity to target further assistance to VR customers as they leave the program.