Young Adult SSI and SSDI Beneficiaries

About 9 percent of working-age beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are young adults under the age of 30. Because these beneficiaries could remain on the disability rolls for decades and experience a lifetime of poverty, they are an important target group for human capital development and employment interventions. This brief presents a profile of young adult beneficiaries and compares them to other beneficiaries. We find young adult beneficiaries differ significantly from others in many ways that both justify targeting this group for intensive supports and highlight the challenges of helping young beneficiaries to become employed and achieve economic independence.