Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2020

Benefits Awarded, Withheld, and Terminated

Disabled Workers Who Work

Table 52. Distribution of workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, by diagnostic group and age, December 2020
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
  Number
Total 47,856 3,401 9,229 11,878 15,354 7,994
Congenital anomalies 113 26 41 29 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 786 49 111 215 278 133
Infectious and parasitic diseases 978 30 141 244 433 130
Injuries 2,024 157 447 453 614 353
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 476 290 154 27 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 158 64 53 27 11 3
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 19 8 6 (X) (X) 0
Intellectual disorders 1,891 506 750 416 178 41
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 7,480 371 1,638 2,464 2,299 708
Neurocognitive disorders 1,251 135 348 314 322 132
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 2,185 238 736 606 467 138
Other mental disorders 3,008 272 919 970 677 170
Neoplasms 4,335 263 626 840 1,608 998
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 359 82 109 66 73 29
Circulatory system 2,277 51 204 421 918 683
Digestive system 1,074 72 194 273 336 199
Genitourinary system 2,194 158 559 684 605 188
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 11,045 115 754 2,087 4,734 3,355
Nervous system and sense organs 4,935 454 1,224 1,456 1,339 462
Respiratory system 735 17 92 139 294 193
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 154 17 42 47 35 13
Other 132 12 28 (X) 33 (X)
Unknown 247 14 53 59 79 42
  Percent
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.8 1.8 1.7
Infectious and parasitic diseases 2.0 0.9 1.5 2.1 2.8 1.6
Injuries 4.2 4.6 4.8 3.8 4.0 4.4
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1.0 8.5 1.7 0.2 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 0.3 1.9 0.6 0.2 0.1 (L)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified (L) 0.2 0.1 (X) (X) 0.0
Intellectual disorders 4.0 14.9 8.1 3.5 1.2 0.5
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 15.6 10.9 17.7 20.7 15.0 8.9
Neurocognitive disorders 2.6 4.0 3.8 2.6 2.1 1.7
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 4.6 7.0 8.0 5.1 3.0 1.7
Other mental disorders 6.3 8.0 10.0 8.2 4.4 2.1
Neoplasms 9.1 7.7 6.8 7.1 10.5 12.5
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.8 2.4 1.2 0.6 0.5 0.4
Circulatory system 4.8 1.5 2.2 3.5 6.0 8.5
Digestive system 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.5
Genitourinary system 4.6 4.6 6.1 5.8 3.9 2.4
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 23.1 3.4 8.2 17.6 30.8 42.0
Nervous system and sense organs 10.3 13.3 13.3 12.3 8.7 5.8
Respiratory system 1.5 0.5 1.0 1.2 1.9 2.4
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2
Other 0.3 0.4 0.3 (X) 0.2 (X)
Unknown 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: These data represent the total number of beneficiaries with benefits withheld in December 2020 regardless of when their benefits were initially withheld.
FRA = full retirement age; (L) = less than 0.05 percent; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 53. Distribution of workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, by diagnostic group and age, 2020
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
  Number
Total 49,592 2,425 10,604 13,020 15,594 7,949
Congenital anomalies 149 22 63 43 17 4
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 956 24 128 279 329 196
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,259 17 199 363 526 154
Injuries 1,846 65 382 462 615 322
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 552 219 251 61 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 211 53 102 38 15 3
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 25 5 13 (X) (X) (X)
Intellectual disorders 3,718 499 1,587 941 585 106
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 9,179 276 2,072 2,981 2,913 937
Neurocognitive disorders 1,633 142 478 396 444 173
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 2,690 147 825 854 673 191
Other mental disorders 3,141 202 965 1,010 766 198
Neoplasms 2,467 112 363 514 897 581
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 397 72 164 78 64 19
Circulatory system 2,006 24 169 376 793 644
Digestive system 786 29 150 183 281 143
Genitourinary system 1,790 69 441 574 532 174
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 10,177 84 687 1,901 4,181 3,324
Nervous system and sense organs 5,401 325 1,361 1,649 1,535 531
Respiratory system 660 13 79 155 238 175
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 146 6 47 43 38 12
Other 133 8 29 (X) (X) (X)
Unknown 270 12 49 76 87 46
  Percent
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies 0.3 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.1 0.1
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.9 1.0 1.2 2.1 2.1 2.5
Infectious and parasitic diseases 2.5 0.7 1.9 2.8 3.4 1.9
Injuries 3.7 2.7 3.6 3.5 3.9 4.1
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1.1 9.0 2.4 0.5 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 0.4 2.2 1.0 0.3 0.1 (L)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 0.1 0.2 0.1 (X) (X) (X)
Intellectual disorders 7.5 20.6 15.0 7.2 3.8 1.3
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 18.5 11.4 19.5 22.9 18.7 11.8
Neurocognitive disorders 3.3 5.9 4.5 3.0 2.8 2.2
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 5.4 6.1 7.8 6.6 4.3 2.4
Other mental disorders 6.3 8.3 9.1 7.8 4.9 2.5
Neoplasms 5.0 4.6 3.4 3.9 5.8 7.3
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.8 3.0 1.5 0.6 0.4 0.2
Circulatory system 4.0 1.0 1.6 2.9 5.1 8.1
Digestive system 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.8 1.8
Genitourinary system 3.6 2.8 4.2 4.4 3.4 2.2
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 20.5 3.5 6.5 14.6 26.8 41.8
Nervous system and sense organs 10.9 13.4 12.8 12.7 9.8 6.7
Respiratory system 1.3 0.5 0.7 1.2 1.5 2.2
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2
Other 0.3 0.3 0.3 (X) (X) (X)
Unknown 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age; (L) = less than 0.05 percent; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 54. Average monthly benefit for workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, by diagnostic group and age, December 2020 (in dollars)
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
Total 1,443.07 1,135.61 1,318.73 1,421.49 1,523.11 1,595.76
Congenital anomalies 1,344.39 1,142.81 1,432.55 1,398.44 (X) (X)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1,359.10 1,205.20 1,346.91 1,343.39 1,384.90 1,397.44
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,452.33 1,316.20 1,253.19 1,424.39 1,521.67 1,521.25
Injuries 1,559.26 1,313.90 1,464.56 1,532.17 1,638.23 1,685.71
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1,049.72 1,008.90 1,107.80 1,167.09 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 1,120.01 971.02 1,188.89 1,309.57 1,183.14 1,143.83
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 1,179.71 1,038.88 1,305.08 (X) (X) 0.00
Intellectual disorders 1,094.12 1,017.37 1,113.04 1,153.39 1,099.83 1,068.93
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 1,351.88 1,071.78 1,272.22 1,335.56 1,427.86 1,493.00
Neurocognitive disorders 1,357.92 1,101.11 1,236.37 1,404.61 1,489.46 1,509.10
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 1,223.81 1,071.37 1,169.23 1,289.16 1,303.62 1,220.72
Other mental disorders 1,325.05 1,078.23 1,287.67 1,359.03 1,394.88 1,450.00
Neoplasms 1,780.68 1,400.58 1,604.94 1,745.84 1,851.98 1,905.54
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 1,467.97 1,194.18 1,398.17 1,540.66 1,682.62 1,798.74
Circulatory system 1,561.76 1,181.25 1,426.31 1,479.45 1,599.81 1,630.22
Digestive system 1,583.55 1,099.97 1,370.16 1,559.12 1,709.64 1,787.19
Genitourinary system 1,542.83 1,226.99 1,366.84 1,541.68 1,726.82 1,743.61
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 1,449.15 1,230.95 1,368.58 1,386.35 1,446.76 1,517.19
Nervous system and sense organs 1,479.74 1,205.00 1,390.12 1,482.88 1,569.52 1,717.10
Respiratory system 1,466.78 1,166.91 1,417.99 1,440.54 1,467.01 1,534.99
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 1,388.01 1,147.12 1,300.77 1,410.29 1,482.89 1,648.85
Other 1,422.73 1,189.04 1,241.04 (X) 1,530.70 (X)
Unknown 1,410.14 963.18 1,236.20 1,462.99 1,427.04 1,672.59
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: FRA = full retirement age; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 55. Average monthly benefit for workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, by diagnostic group and age, 2020 (in dollars)
Diagnostic group Total Under 30 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–FRA
Total 1,316.59 1,141.67 1,226.11 1,291.05 1,364.59 1,438.35
Congenital anomalies 1,204.32 1,066.51 1,235.35 1,219.00 1,261.79 1,071.40
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1,305.56 1,280.57 1,285.82 1,275.65 1,318.52 1,342.33
Infectious and parasitic diseases 1,309.63 1,313.10 1,216.14 1,312.89 1,346.27 1,297.20
Injuries 1,449.13 1,281.39 1,449.84 1,411.44 1,442.75 1,548.41
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 1,063.71 1,042.61 1,064.33 1,093.08 (X) (X)
Developmental disorders 1,108.68 1,084.85 1,110.21 1,182.48 963.58 1,268.28
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 1,022.05 931.68 955.24 (X) (X) (X)
Intellectual disorders 1,055.84 1,038.13 1,058.85 1,068.63 1,049.68 1,014.60
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 1,257.41 1,118.43 1,202.58 1,240.69 1,294.45 1,357.64
Neurocognitive disorders 1,277.41 1,128.41 1,205.00 1,275.02 1,333.07 1,462.39
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 1,182.96 1,135.76 1,169.34 1,183.65 1,189.93 1,250.50
Other mental disorders 1,264.16 1,104.29 1,244.64 1,288.12 1,271.82 1,370.47
Neoplasms 1,659.26 1,433.94 1,558.70 1,637.67 1,708.36 1,708.82
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 1,278.11 1,214.62 1,198.65 1,347.68 1,376.52 1,587.46
Circulatory system 1,442.34 1,159.34 1,319.64 1,360.81 1,473.17 1,494.74
Digestive system 1,499.97 1,356.41 1,341.49 1,445.60 1,569.31 1,628.66
Genitourinary system 1,460.41 1,212.56 1,334.08 1,420.83 1,561.66 1,699.93
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 1,365.02 1,223.12 1,315.76 1,324.71 1,359.54 1,408.72
Nervous system and sense organs 1,346.09 1,215.94 1,272.68 1,329.80 1,411.08 1,476.66
Respiratory system 1,279.39 1,089.52 1,237.83 1,186.60 1,298.85 1,367.96
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 1,242.11 891.83 1,176.87 1,254.05 1,356.81 1,266.83
Other 1,272.78 1,273.04 1,173.76 (X) (X) (X)
Unknown 1,273.42 1,232.26 1,194.87 1,278.40 1,254.80 1,394.83
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 56. Distribution, by state or other area, 2020
State or area All workers, December Workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, December Workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, calendar year
Number Percentage of all workers Number Percentage of all workers
All areas 8,151,016 47,856 0.6 49,592 0.6
Alabama 213,906 658 0.3 739 0.3
Alaska 11,362 92 0.8 97 0.9
Arizona 146,576 956 0.7 915 0.6
Arkansas 129,636 492 0.4 602 0.5
California 594,117 4,560 0.8 4,300 0.7
Colorado 92,314 601 0.7 715 0.8
Connecticut 76,746 452 0.6 489 0.6
Delaware 25,981 175 0.7 195 0.8
District of Columbia 12,740 136 1.1 204 1.6
Florida 534,714 2,527 0.5 2,555 0.5
Georgia 270,507 1,194 0.4 1,424 0.5
Hawaii 20,090 125 0.6 111 0.6
Idaho 42,930 302 0.7 271 0.6
Illinois 260,426 1,489 0.6 1,645 0.6
Indiana 193,802 967 0.5 1,027 0.5
Iowa 75,552 437 0.6 491 0.6
Kansas 68,326 442 0.6 423 0.6
Kentucky 185,594 709 0.4 676 0.4
Louisiana 148,001 776 0.5 890 0.6
Maine 52,833 400 0.8 407 0.8
Maryland 121,139 944 0.8 1,139 0.9
Massachusetts 182,588 1,855 1.0 2,047 1.1
Michigan 319,288 1,544 0.5 1,726 0.5
Minnesota 116,968 970 0.8 1,086 0.9
Mississippi 118,358 348 0.3 410 0.3
Missouri 200,074 1,078 0.5 1,035 0.5
Montana 25,733 154 0.6 152 0.6
Nebraska 39,689 267 0.7 290 0.7
Nevada 61,622 431 0.7 414 0.7
New Hampshire 45,003 559 1.2 485 1.1
New Jersey 180,545 1,248 0.7 1,362 0.8
New Mexico 61,294 320 0.5 310 0.5
New York 463,759 3,704 0.8 3,489 0.8
North Carolina 306,204 1,021 0.3 1,312 0.4
North Dakota 13,946 118 0.8 98 0.7
Ohio 331,098 1,892 0.6 2,003 0.6
Oklahoma 121,207 568 0.5 602 0.5
Oregon 99,498 699 0.7 606 0.6
Pennsylvania 379,681 2,448 0.6 2,649 0.7
Rhode Island 34,539 244 0.7 203 0.6
South Carolina 166,551 678 0.4 721 0.4
South Dakota 17,960 124 0.7 136 0.8
Tennessee 231,573 826 0.4 908 0.4
Texas 531,099 3,627 0.7 3,746 0.7
Utah 44,846 371 0.8 333 0.7
Vermont 20,714 179 0.9 192 0.9
Virginia 199,120 1,097 0.6 1,160 0.6
Washington 158,774 1,588 1.0 1,348 0.8
West Virginia 80,614 280 0.3 279 0.3
Wisconsin 153,293 958 0.6 976 0.6
Wyoming 13,025 90 0.7 80 0.6
Outlying areas  
Puerto Rico 141,607 81 0.1 86 0.1
Other a 13,454 55 0.4 33 0.2
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTE: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
a. Includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and foreign countries.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 57. Distribution, by sex and age, 2020
Age group All workers, December Workers with benefits withheld because of substantial work, December Workers with benefits terminated because of successful return to work, calendar year
Number Percentage of all workers Number Percentage of all workers
  All disabled workers
Total 8,151,016 47,856 0.6 49,592 0.6
Under 30 124,954 3,401 2.7 2,425 1.9
30–39 529,717 9,229 1.7 10,604 2.0
40–49 1,173,756 11,878 1.0 13,020 1.1
50–59 3,064,540 15,354 0.5 15,594 0.5
60–FRA 3,258,049 7,994 0.2 7,949 0.2
  Men
Subtotal 4,100,636 26,378 0.6 25,410 0.6
Under 30 73,430 2,165 2.9 1,503 2.0
30–39 283,050 5,516 1.9 5,954 2.1
40–49 573,188 6,061 1.1 6,198 1.1
50–59 1,512,145 8,081 0.5 7,588 0.5
60–FRA 1,658,823 4,555 0.3 4,167 0.3
  Women
Subtotal 4,050,380 21,478 0.5 24,182 0.6
Under 30 51,524 1,236 2.4 922 1.8
30–39 246,667 3,713 1.5 4,650 1.9
40–49 600,568 5,817 1.0 6,822 1.1
50–59 1,552,395 7,273 0.5 8,006 0.5
60–FRA 1,599,226 3,439 0.2 3,782 0.2
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Master Beneficiary Record, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Because of differences in data sources and calculation methods, statistics reported in this table may differ from those reported by the Office of the Chief Actuary.
FRA = full retirement age.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 58. Work-incentive utilization among disabled workers, 2015–2019
Work-incentive category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 a
Workers who participated in a trial work period (TWP) 254,875 251,786 246,358 238,695 184,069
Started a TWP 143,995 142,025 137,491 130,834 92,058
Completed a TWP 102,601 102,962 102,639 105,103 86,072
Workers with at least 1 suspension month because of earnings above the substantial gainful activity level
Extended period of eligibility 142,068 152,201 155,916 163,866 148,059
Initial reinstatement period 5,924 5,984 6,374 6,690 5,367
Favorable decision on expedited reinstatement request 9,293 10,493 10,644 10,740 8,068
Workers using miscellaneous work incentives for at least 1 month
Impairment-related work expenses 10,673 10,693 9,887 8,716 6,622
Subsidies 26,754 26,300 24,518 22,073 16,884
Special conditions 3,812 3,802 3,621 3,413 2,448
Unsuccessful work attempts 19,296 17,847 17,513 18,232 15,163
SOURCE: Disability Control File, July 2021.
a. Approximately 10 percent of work-related continuing disability reviews (CDRs) for earnings in 2019 are still in progress; all other years are subject to change because of work-related CDR processing that may address work activity in previous years.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.