Social Security

Disability Programs Lag in Promoting Return to Work Gao ID: T-HEHS-96-147 June 5, 1996

Each week, the disability insurance and supplemental security income programs make more than $1 billion in cash payments to persons with disabilities. Although these payments provide a measure of income security, they do little to enhance the work capacities and promote the economic independence of recipients. Societal attitudes have shifted, and current law, such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, promotes economic self-sufficiency among the disabled. A growing number of private companies are exploring ways to return people with disabilities to the workforce. Moreover, medical advances and new technologies provide greater opportunities for people with disabilities to work. This testimony discusses how the structure of the disability insurance and supplemental security income programs impede return to work and how strategies used in other disability systems could help restructure the programs to encourage recipients to return to work.

Recommendations

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