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Title: Immigrant Networks and the Take-Up of Disability Programs: Evidence from U.S. Census Data

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 2012

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Abstract: This paper examines the role of ethnic networks in determining Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplementary Security Income (SSI) take-up among working-age immigrants in the United States. Using data from the 2000 U.S. Census, we find that even when controlling for country of origin and area fixed effects, immigrants residing amidst a large number of co-ethnics are more likely to receive disability payments when their ethnic groups have higher take-up rates. We show that this pattern can be partially explained by cross-group differences in satisfying the work history or income and asset requirements of the disability programs. However, we also present evidence suggesting that social norms play an important role. Information sharing appears to be important in determining SSI take-up but not DI take-up. Leisure complementarities, on the other hand, do not seem to be a driving force behind the network effects in disability program participation.

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Authors: Furtado, Delia; Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos

Conference Name: Population Association of America

Publisher Location: San Francisco, CA

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other

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