Social Security Disability

Under the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, older women are allowed benefits at a lower rate than are older men. For example, in 1988, 39 percent of female applicants aged 55 to 64--compared with 50 percent of the male applicants of the same age--were allowed benefits. However, GAO found that this difference does not necessarily point to bias in the system. Rather, most of the difference could be explained by gender difference in impairments and demographic characteristics and by the rules for determining disability.

GAO found that: (1) women of all ages are one-third less likely to receive DI benefits than men because they apply for benefits at lower rates; (2) the gender difference in allowance rates is largest among older applicants; (3) the type and severity of impairment and demographic characteristics account for two-thirds of the gender difference in DI allowance rates for older applicants; (4) more older women than men apply for DI benefits with less severe impairments; (5) women tend to have occupations that have lower allowance rates regardless of gender; (6) occupational differences could account for the unexplained differences in DI allowance rates; and (7) there was no evidence of bias in initial DI decisions for older women.