I have not done any analysis comparing the two data sets, but there are good reasons to think they would not match up.  There are many types of disability which do not qualify for OASDI; hearing problems come to mind immediately. Overall, people who are able to work generally do not get help from the SS disability insurance program. Further, iI don't think it provides no count of disabled people who are eligible for and collecting regular "old age" social security, since when they become age eligible they would transition. We'd have to confirm that situation, statistically, with SSA.

Many people under 65 collect "old-age" social security, since it's available on an "early" basis at age 62. Currently, you have to be 66 to get full benefits, but you can defer beyond that and get larger benefits later on. It might be a reasonable count of the population 65 and older by zip code, but census data would be better.

It's really, really hard to use administrative data of this type for statistical purposes. I'm sympathetic to the transportation community's need for disability data and understand the frustration over its not being available right now from ACS, but I don't think this is the solution.

Patty Becker




At 12:37 PM 2/16/2012, you wrote:
This link was sent along to Elaine and me via Anne Morris co-chair of
the TRB Environmental Justice Committee from one of FHWA contacts.  It
is goes to data from the Social Security Administration and lists
benefits by zip code, the number of individuals on Old-Age, Survivors,
and Disability Insurance program and the number of Disabled workers.  It
might be helpful in trying to identify the disability needs for a
particular zip code or state or for that matter the number of
individuals over 65.

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/oasdi_zip/2010/index.html

If you download the whole report the notes on what the data is all about
and where it comes from are right up front.

Anyone have experience using this data source?  Anyone have a sense of
how it might line up with our traditional Census sources?  Is it any good?

--
Ed Christopher
708-283-3534 (V)
708-574-8131 (cell)

FHWA RC-TST-PLN
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Matteson, IL  60443
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