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RACIAL DISPARITIES IN FEDERAL DISABILITY BENEFITS
Author(s) -
GODTLAND ERIN M.,
GRGICH MICHELE,
PETERSEN CAROL DAWN,
SLOANE DOUGLAS M.,
WALKER ANN T
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
contemporary economic policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.454
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1465-7287
pISSN - 1074-3529
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-7287.2006.00031.x
Subject(s) - social security , disability benefits , demographic economics , multivariate statistics , administration (probate law) , representation (politics) , economics , actuarial science , political science , statistics , law , mathematics , politics
We estimate racial differences in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision to award federal disability benefits using newly available data, multivariate econometric models, and Oaxaca decomposition methods. We focus on the appellate level of SSA’s disability decision‐making process. We find that for claimants represented by attorneysthere is no statistically significant difference in benefit award rates between whites and African‐Americans. However, for claimants without attorney representation, we find sizable and significant differences between whites and African‐Americans. ( JEL J15, H53)