DISABILITY PATTERNS AMONG SSI RECIPIENTS

In December 1993, about 3.8 million persons under age 65 received Supp lemental Security Income (SSI) payments because of a disability. More than half of these recipients had some form of mental disorder. In rec ent years, the number of disabled SSI recipients has climbed sharply. At the same time, there has been a change in the disability patterns a mong these recipients. The proportion of recipients with mental disord ers, particularly those with psychiatric illness, is increasing steadi ly. Many of these recipients enter the SSI program in their youth and may stay in the program for many years. Similar increases and disabili ty patterns in the Social Security Administration's Disability Insuran ce (DI) program imply program related causes, including recent changes to the disability requirements and outreach efforts. These changing d isability patterns have implications for the size and shape of future SSI caseloads.