The impact of work incentive benefits counseling on employment outcomes: Evidence from two return-to-work demonstrations

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Delin, Barry S. | Hartman, Ellie C. | Sell, Christopher W.

Affiliations: Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, University of Wisconsin–Stout, Menomonie, WI, USA

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Barry S. Delin, Wisc AMP, 2107 Mechanical Engineering, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Tel.: +1 608 262 7764; Fax: +1 608 265 5290; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: This study examined the influence that different amounts of work incentive benefits counseling had on consumers' employment outcomes. It also examined the influence of prior employment on service provision. Data were combined from two return-to-work projects in Wisconsin. Participants were volunteers receiving Social Security disability benefits and typically had stronger post-disability employment histories than the general SSDI and SSI populations. The amount of benefits counseling provided had positive and statistically significant impacts on all three outcomes, with estimated gains of $34 in earnings and $37 in income in each calendar quarter over a two year period. The gain in the quarterly employment rate was 1.1%. Having strong employment outcomes in the period between establishing eligibility for a Social Security disability program and entering one of the return-to-work projects proved a strong predictor of how much service an individual participant received.

Keywords: Work incentive benefits counseling, disability, employment, SSDI, SSI

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-2012-0585

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 97-107, 2012