How Do the Disadvantaged Assess Their Claiming Experience?
Jean-Pierre Aubry, Boston College
Retiring baby boomers are increasing the demand for SSA services at a time when budget constraints and retiring staff are limiting the agency’s capacity to deliver them. Online services offer a way to meet increased demand with fewer resources. However, recent CRR research suggests that 65 percent of retirees contact SSA in person or by phone at some point during the claiming process; and non-White individuals are more likely to do so. As such, Social Security has an interest in better understanding the claiming experience of retirees who are non-White or from other underserved communities to inform policies that promote more equitable and cost-effective service delivery.
This project will use data from our SSA-sponsored 2021 survey on retirees’ claiming process to explore how older individuals from underserved communities claimed (or intend to claim). Specifically, the project will examine: 1) their reasons for contacting SSA during the claiming process, such as inquiring about their benefit eligibility or fixing a data error; 2) their satisfaction with the claiming process; and 3) and their own suggestions for how to improve it.
Publications
