WI24-Q1: Social Security, Retirement and Farmers--A Survey of Wisconsin Farm Owners

Farmers, although a small part of the overall population, are a population of interest for studying retirement and specific interactions with the Social Security Administration for multiple reasons. First, farming is an extremely physically demanding job that increases the odds that an individual working in this occupation will need to claim SSDI at some point in their career. Second, farmers are often asset-rich, but savings-poor. For this reason, they may rely more on OASI to fund their retirement consumption rather than relying on private savings or company-sponsored retirement plans. Using data on farmers in Wisconsin, this study will offer insights into the financial and retirement planning among farmers, including their interactions with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The project will also include community-based learning with Wisconsin Extension to better understand the survey findings and assist with translation and dissemination. This study will help SSA to develop more effective outreach in farm communities, as well as to inform decisions related to SSA office and online services in rural communities.