Section 823 of the Bipartisan Budget
Act of 2015 requires SSA to carry out the Promoting Opportunity
Demonstration (POD) to test a new benefit offset formula for Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries. Therefore, SSA
is undertaking POD, a demonstration to evaluate the affect the new
policy will have on SSDI beneficiaries and their families in
several critical areas: (1) employment, (2) benefits, (3) earnings,
and (4) income (earnings plus benefits). Under current law, Social
Security beneficiaries lose their SSDI benefit if they have
earnings or work activity above the threshold of Substantial
Gainful Activity (SGA). The POD evaluation will draw on previous
lessons from related work incentive experiences, especially SSA’s
Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND), 0960-0785, which
tested a different offset formula. POD tests a different policy
than BOND in two important ways: (1) A lower threshold at which
point the offset is applied – increasing the likelihood of reducing
benefit expenditures relative to current law expenditures; and (2)
A more immediate adjustment to the benefits – to increase the
salience and clarity of the offset policy for beneficiaries. The
POD will test a benefit offset that will reduce benefits by $1 for
every $2 in participants’ earnings above the POD threshold,
gradually reducing benefits as earnings increase. The POD threshold
will equal the greater of (1) an inflation adjusted trial work
period level ($840 in 2017); or (2) the amount of the participant’s
itemized impairment-related work expenses up to SGA. The new rules
we will test in POD also simplify work incentives and we intend
them to promote employment and reduce dependency on benefits. The
design for POD will include implementation and evaluation
activities designed to answer seven central research questions: •
What are the impacts of the two POD benefit designs on
beneficiaries’ earnings, SSDI benefits, and total earnings and
benefit income? • Is POD attractive to beneficiaries? Do they
remain engaged over time? • How were the POD offset policies
implemented, and what operational, systemic, or contextual factors
facilitated or posed challenges to administering the offset? • How
successful were POD and SSA in making timely benefit adjustments,
and what factors affected timeliness positively or negatively? •
How do the impacts of the POD offset policies vary with beneficiary
characteristics? • What are the costs and benefits of the POD
benefit designs relative to current law, and what are the
implications for the SSDI trust fund? • What are the implications
of the POD findings for national policy proposals that would
include a SSDI benefit offset? The public survey data collections
have four components – a process analysis, a participation
analysis, an impact analysis, and a cost-benefit analysis. The data
collections are the primary source for data to measure the effects
the benefit offset on SSDI beneficiaries’ work efforts and
earnings. Ultimately, these data will benefit researchers, policy
analysts, policy makers, SSA, and the state vocational
rehabilitation agencies in a wide range of program areas. There are
four targeted outcomes for SSDI beneficiaries under POD: (1)
increased employment and earnings; (2) decreased benefits payments;
(3) increased total income; and (4) impacts on other related
outcomes (for example, health status and quality of life).
Additionally, four outcomes of interest for system changes include:
(1) reduction in overpayments; (2) enhanced program integrity; (3)
stronger culture of self sufficiency; and (4) improved SSDI trust
fund balance. Respondents are SSDI beneficiaries, who will provide
written consent before agreeing to participate in the study and
before we randomly assign them to one of the study treatment
groups. This is a non-substantive Change Request to make minor
revisions to the IRWE Monthly Reporting form.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
POD End of Year (EOYR) Form - Online
Justification for a Non-Substantive Changes - 0809.docx
POD End of Year (EOYR) Form - Online