Social Security

Man touching a choice concept

We know what we are dealing with, and can take steps to address it. The key metric used to summarize Social Security’s financial status is the 75-year deficit.  This number is the present discounted value of scheduled taxes (plus the existing trust fund) minus the present discounted value of scheduled benefits divided by the present…

Disabled handicapped young man in wheelchair walking with his care helper in sunset.

This paper examines how differences in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) generosity, driven by differences in state SSI supplements, affect people’s interaction with the program.  This paper uses county-level administrative data on SSI recipiency rates, as well as county-level data on SSI application rates, SSI award rates, group specific employment rates, earnings, and migration rates to…

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