Many youths with disabilities, especially those receiving or potentially eligible for Social Security benefits, need assistance as they transition into adulthood. Upon completing secondary school, they face an abrupt end to provider-initiated public entitlement services. They often lack the knowledge and support to access and link fragmented adult support services. This article presents an overview of two projects in the Social Security Administration's Youth Transition Demonstration: California's Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency and Mississippi's Model Youth Transition Innovation. We report key outcomes and highlight the experience of one youth in each project who successfully completed the program.
{"title":"Linking youth transition support services: results from two demonstration projects.","authors":"Christa Bucks Camacho, Jeffrey Hemmeter","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many youths with disabilities, especially those receiving or potentially eligible for Social Security benefits, need assistance as they transition into adulthood. Upon completing secondary school, they face an abrupt end to provider-initiated public entitlement services. They often lack the knowledge and support to access and link fragmented adult support services. This article presents an overview of two projects in the Social Security Administration's Youth Transition Demonstration: California's Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency and Mississippi's Model Youth Transition Innovation. We report key outcomes and highlight the experience of one youth in each project who successfully completed the program.</p>","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"73 1","pages":"59-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"31442069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The English version of this paper can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract= 2358645.Los programas de pensiones, empleo y familia constituyen tres de las cuatro grandes categorias de la politica social (la cuarta siendo los de salud). En este articulo se analizan opciones para su diseno dentro de un marco de universalidad de la seguridad social en Mexico. Si bien estos programas tienen componentes de beneficios monetarios centrales, tambien requieren de estrategias solidas y especificas a cada uno de ellos en materia de regulacion de proveedores, marco fiscal e interaccion con otros programas e instituciones. Los programas de empleo requieren de un diseno sin costuras con el sistema educativo y con los programas de capacitacion de empresas, y se requiere instituir un seguro de desempleo. La categoria de programas de familia incluyen a los principales para combatir la pobreza extrema, los cuales deben ser incorporados de manera tal que sirvan de vehiculo para que los beneficiarios se integren al flujo principal de la sociedad. Tambien, los programas de familia son la clave para resolver los retos especiales de las mujeres trabajadoras, para lograr la integracion de los discapacitados al mercado de trabajo, para adoptar una politica amplia de desarrollo de ninos pequenos y para comenzar a atender el problema creciente de cuidados de largo plazo de personas con discapacidad. Finalmente, en la categoria de pensiones se requiere de una plataforma para articular aspectos fiscales, soluciones de servicio y la multiplicidad de programas para el envejecimiento y la invalidez que existen y que seguiran surgiendo en el pais.Pension, employment, family, and health insurance programs constitute the four major categories of social policy. This report discusses the options for the design of programs within the first three categories based on a framework that aims at providing universal social security protection throughout Mexico. Although the core benefits of these programs are monetary benefits, their provision requires application of solid strategies specific to each program for the regulation of suppliers, provision of a fiscal framework, and interaction with other programs and institutions. Employment programs require use of a seamless design within the educational system and business training programs, as well as the adoption of an unemployment insurance program. Family programs, including the main programs that combat extreme poverty, should be incorporated into a general framework to allow them to serve as vehicles for the integration of the beneficiaries into society. At the same time, implementation of family programs is key to solving the special challenges of female workers, integrating the disabled into the labor market, adopting a policy for the comprehensive development of young children, and addressing the growing problem of long-term disability care. Finally, realization of successful pension programs requires a platform upon which to articulate
{"title":"Programas de Pensiones, Empleo y Familia (Pensions, Employment and Family Programs)","authors":"Martha Miranda-Muñoz, Nelly Aguilera, G. Martínez","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2364615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2364615","url":null,"abstract":"The English version of this paper can be found at http://ssrn.com/abstract= 2358645.Los programas de pensiones, empleo y familia constituyen tres de las cuatro grandes categorias de la politica social (la cuarta siendo los de salud). En este articulo se analizan opciones para su diseno dentro de un marco de universalidad de la seguridad social en Mexico. Si bien estos programas tienen componentes de beneficios monetarios centrales, tambien requieren de estrategias solidas y especificas a cada uno de ellos en materia de regulacion de proveedores, marco fiscal e interaccion con otros programas e instituciones. Los programas de empleo requieren de un diseno sin costuras con el sistema educativo y con los programas de capacitacion de empresas, y se requiere instituir un seguro de desempleo. La categoria de programas de familia incluyen a los principales para combatir la pobreza extrema, los cuales deben ser incorporados de manera tal que sirvan de vehiculo para que los beneficiarios se integren al flujo principal de la sociedad. Tambien, los programas de familia son la clave para resolver los retos especiales de las mujeres trabajadoras, para lograr la integracion de los discapacitados al mercado de trabajo, para adoptar una politica amplia de desarrollo de ninos pequenos y para comenzar a atender el problema creciente de cuidados de largo plazo de personas con discapacidad. Finalmente, en la categoria de pensiones se requiere de una plataforma para articular aspectos fiscales, soluciones de servicio y la multiplicidad de programas para el envejecimiento y la invalidez que existen y que seguiran surgiendo en el pais.Pension, employment, family, and health insurance programs constitute the four major categories of social policy. This report discusses the options for the design of programs within the first three categories based on a framework that aims at providing universal social security protection throughout Mexico. Although the core benefits of these programs are monetary benefits, their provision requires application of solid strategies specific to each program for the regulation of suppliers, provision of a fiscal framework, and interaction with other programs and institutions. Employment programs require use of a seamless design within the educational system and business training programs, as well as the adoption of an unemployment insurance program. Family programs, including the main programs that combat extreme poverty, should be incorporated into a general framework to allow them to serve as vehicles for the integration of the beneficiaries into society. At the same time, implementation of family programs is key to solving the special challenges of female workers, integrating the disabled into the labor market, adopting a policy for the comprehensive development of young children, and addressing the growing problem of long-term disability care. Finally, realization of successful pension programs requires a platform upon which to articulate","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"247 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89053532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Social Security Administration (SSA) periodically reviews the disabilities of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries to determine if their impairments still meet the requirements for program eligibility. For individuals whose eligibility was ceased after a full medical review from 2003 to 2008, we track subsequent program participation for up to 8 years. We use survival analyses to estimate the time untilfirst return to SSI and DI and explore the differences in returns by various personal and programmatic characteristics such as age, disability type, time on program, and SSA expectations regarding medical improvement. Overall, we estimate that about 30 percent ofSSI-only recipients whose eligibility ceases because of medical improvement return to the SSI program within 8 years. For DI-only worker beneficiaries whose eligibility ceases, we estimate that 20 percent will return to the DI program within 8 years.
{"title":"Subsequent program participation of former social security disability insurance beneficiaries and supplemental security income recipients whose eligibility ceased because of medical improvement.","authors":"Jeffrey Hemmeter, Michelle Stegman","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Social Security Administration (SSA) periodically reviews the disabilities of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries to determine if their impairments still meet the requirements for program eligibility. For individuals whose eligibility was ceased after a full medical review from 2003 to 2008, we track subsequent program participation for up to 8 years. We use survival analyses to estimate the time untilfirst return to SSI and DI and explore the differences in returns by various personal and programmatic characteristics such as age, disability type, time on program, and SSA expectations regarding medical improvement. Overall, we estimate that about 30 percent ofSSI-only recipients whose eligibility ceases because of medical improvement return to the SSI program within 8 years. For DI-only worker beneficiaries whose eligibility ceases, we estimate that 20 percent will return to the DI program within 8 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"73 2","pages":"1-38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"31632736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The retirement earnings test (RET) is an often-misunderstood aspect of the Social Security program. Proposed RET reforms meant to encourage working at older ages could also cause earlier benefit claiming. We use Modeling Income in the Near Term data to analyze the complete repeal of the earnings test for beneficiaries aged 60 or older, first assuming no behavioral responses to repeal and secondly assuming changes to benefit claiming and workforce participation behaviors. We find that beneficiaries affected by RET repeal would generally receive significantly higher benefits when they are younger than the full retirement age (FRA), and somewhat lower benefits after reaching FRA. RET repeal would not significantly change individuals' lifetime benefits and we find no significant changes in the overall poverty rate under either scenario. We find that assumed behavioral responses-particularly the benefit claiming change--have a bigger effect on lifetime benefits than the RET policy change itself.
{"title":"Modeling behavioral responses to eliminating the retirement earnings test.","authors":"Anya Olsen, Kathleen Romig","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The retirement earnings test (RET) is an often-misunderstood aspect of the Social Security program. Proposed RET reforms meant to encourage working at older ages could also cause earlier benefit claiming. We use Modeling Income in the Near Term data to analyze the complete repeal of the earnings test for beneficiaries aged 60 or older, first assuming no behavioral responses to repeal and secondly assuming changes to benefit claiming and workforce participation behaviors. We find that beneficiaries affected by RET repeal would generally receive significantly higher benefits when they are younger than the full retirement age (FRA), and somewhat lower benefits after reaching FRA. RET repeal would not significantly change individuals' lifetime benefits and we find no significant changes in the overall poverty rate under either scenario. We find that assumed behavioral responses-particularly the benefit claiming change--have a bigger effect on lifetime benefits than the RET policy change itself.</p>","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"73 1","pages":"39-58"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"31442068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The increasing cost of employer contributions for employee health insurance reduces the share of compensation subject to the Social Security payroll tax. Rising insurance contributions can also have a more subtle effect on the Social Security tax base because they influence the distribution of money wages above and below the taxable maximum amount. This article uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to analyze trends in employer health insurance contributions and the distribution of those costs up and down the wage distribution. Our analysis shows that employer health insurance contributions increased faster than overall compensation during 1996-2008, but such contributions grew only slightly faster among workers earning less than the taxable maximum than they did among those earning more. Because employer health insurance contributions represent a much higher percentage of compensation below the taxable maximum, health insurance cost trends exerted a disproportionate downward pressure on money wages below the taxable maximum.
{"title":"Effects of employer-sponsored health insurance costs on Social Security taxable wages.","authors":"Gary Burtless, Sveta Milusheva","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing cost of employer contributions for employee health insurance reduces the share of compensation subject to the Social Security payroll tax. Rising insurance contributions can also have a more subtle effect on the Social Security tax base because they influence the distribution of money wages above and below the taxable maximum amount. This article uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to analyze trends in employer health insurance contributions and the distribution of those costs up and down the wage distribution. Our analysis shows that employer health insurance contributions increased faster than overall compensation during 1996-2008, but such contributions grew only slightly faster among workers earning less than the taxable maximum than they did among those earning more. Because employer health insurance contributions represent a much higher percentage of compensation below the taxable maximum, health insurance cost trends exerted a disproportionate downward pressure on money wages below the taxable maximum.</p>","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"73 1","pages":"83-108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2013-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"31442071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Bertranou, O. Cetrángolo, C. Grushka, Luis Casanova
In the last decades, the pension system in Argentina has experienced important changes that included the introduction of an individual account defined-contribution component (or individual capitalisation) in 1994 and its subsequent reversal to a defined benefit pay-as-you-go pension scheme in 2008. After the 2001 crisis, the favourable fiscal position allowed the implementation of policies that reversed the decline in pension coverage to unprecedented levels, reaching over 90% of the elderly.This article summarizes the main changes in the pension system in terms of its institutional organisation, financing and coverage, describes the current situation, and outlines the sustainability challenges that face future pension policy.
{"title":"Beyond the Privatisation and Re-Nationalisation of the Argentine Pension System: Coverage, Fragmentation, and Sustainability","authors":"F. Bertranou, O. Cetrángolo, C. Grushka, Luis Casanova","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2191202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2191202","url":null,"abstract":"In the last decades, the pension system in Argentina has experienced important changes that included the introduction of an individual account defined-contribution component (or individual capitalisation) in 1994 and its subsequent reversal to a defined benefit pay-as-you-go pension scheme in 2008. After the 2001 crisis, the favourable fiscal position allowed the implementation of policies that reversed the decline in pension coverage to unprecedented levels, reaching over 90% of the elderly.This article summarizes the main changes in the pension system in terms of its institutional organisation, financing and coverage, describes the current situation, and outlines the sustainability challenges that face future pension policy.","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87913443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The specificities of the workforce with a migrant background are often neglected in studies of retirement. Similarly, many studies of migration’s impact on pensions often focus on aggregate outcomes—system sustainability or distributive characteristics. The present article provides a fresh look at the nexus between these two literatures. It discusses the impact of the European social security coordination mechanisms on individual decision making and on the functioning of social security systems—with a focus on retirement. The article argues that such effects are nonnegligible and are likely to have major policy consequences. (JEL Codes: F22, H75, J26, J61)
{"title":"The Retirement of the Migrant Labor Force: Pension Portability and Beyond","authors":"Alain Jousten","doi":"10.1093/CESIFO/IFU002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/CESIFO/IFU002","url":null,"abstract":"The specificities of the workforce with a migrant background are often neglected in studies of retirement. Similarly, many studies of migration’s impact on pensions often focus on aggregate outcomes—system sustainability or distributive characteristics. The present article provides a fresh look at the nexus between these two literatures. It discusses the impact of the European social security coordination mechanisms on individual decision making and on the functioning of social security systems—with a focus on retirement. The article argues that such effects are nonnegligible and are likely to have major policy consequences. (JEL Codes: F22, H75, J26, J61)","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86691899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Australia's asset allocation in superannuation is out of alignment with the underlying demographics which reflect a large proportion of members approaching retirement. The theories underlying asset allocation do not adequately address a saving system with active cash flows like superannuation. A greater allocation to corporate bonds would address the problem of excess volatility contributing to sequencing risk or the risk of an adverse order of investment returns.
{"title":"Asset Allocation in Super","authors":"J. Cooper","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2162279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2162279","url":null,"abstract":"Australia's asset allocation in superannuation is out of alignment with the underlying demographics which reflect a large proportion of members approaching retirement. The theories underlying asset allocation do not adequately address a saving system with active cash flows like superannuation. A greater allocation to corporate bonds would address the problem of excess volatility contributing to sequencing risk or the risk of an adverse order of investment returns.","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88536489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Economic theory says that participants in 401(k) plans should gradually rebalance their portfolios away from stocks and toward less risky bonds as they approach retirement. Conventional target date funds attempt to do so by automatically rebalancing the household’s portfolio periodically, but they take account of only one aspect of the individual: his expected retirement age. This paper investigates whether plan providers could improve on this “one-size-fits-all” approach by making use of information that is known to the employer, namely each employee’s income, 401(k) balance, and saving rate. Using a stochastic dynamic optimization model, incorporating both labor- and financial-market risk, it calculates the compensation a household following an optimal portfolio allocation would require for adopting three alternatives: a typical, a “one-size-fits-all,” or a “semi-personalized” portfolio allocation.
{"title":"Using Participant Data to Improve Target Date Fund Allocations","authors":"Zhenyu Li, A. Webb","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2149092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2149092","url":null,"abstract":"Economic theory says that participants in 401(k) plans should gradually rebalance their portfolios away from stocks and toward less risky bonds as they approach retirement. Conventional target date funds attempt to do so by automatically rebalancing the household’s portfolio periodically, but they take account of only one aspect of the individual: his expected retirement age. This paper investigates whether plan providers could improve on this “one-size-fits-all” approach by making use of information that is known to the employer, namely each employee’s income, 401(k) balance, and saving rate. Using a stochastic dynamic optimization model, incorporating both labor- and financial-market risk, it calculates the compensation a household following an optimal portfolio allocation would require for adopting three alternatives: a typical, a “one-size-fits-all,” or a “semi-personalized” portfolio allocation.","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79081311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The contributions that workers pay for Social Security have been temporarily reduced under legislation designed to get money quickly into the hands of workers so they could spend it to help the nation out of the Great Recession. This “payroll tax holiday�? is scheduled to end on December 31. This fact sheet describes an ‘exit strategy’ that could attract broad public support and help strengthen Social Security for the long term. The fact sheet notes that Social Security now has four dedicated sources of income, including reimbursement funds from general revenues that replace dollar-for-dollar the revenue not collected during the temporary tax reduction. Therefore, Social Security’s trust funds are unaffected by the payroll tax holiday.
{"title":"Implications of the Payroll Tax Holiday for Social Security: Social Security Now Has Four Dedicated Income Sources The Tax Holiday Needs an Exit Strategy","authors":"Elisa A. Walker, T. Bethell, V. Reno","doi":"10.2139/SSRN.2044837","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/SSRN.2044837","url":null,"abstract":"The contributions that workers pay for Social Security have been temporarily reduced under legislation designed to get money quickly into the hands of workers so they could spend it to help the nation out of the Great Recession. This “payroll tax holiday�? is scheduled to end on December 31. This fact sheet describes an ‘exit strategy’ that could attract broad public support and help strengthen Social Security for the long term. The fact sheet notes that Social Security now has four dedicated sources of income, including reimbursement funds from general revenues that replace dollar-for-dollar the revenue not collected during the temporary tax reduction. Therefore, Social Security’s trust funds are unaffected by the payroll tax holiday.","PeriodicalId":39542,"journal":{"name":"Social Security Bulletin","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91111258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}