WI23-05: The Effect of Public Policies on Work Disability: A Lifecourse Perspective

This study investigates the impact of three social policies – Medicaid, Food Stamps, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – throughout the lifecourse on experiencing work disability in later life. Work disability is richly characterized by self-reports of duration and severity and probable Disability Insurance (DI) receipt. Results demonstrate that the EITC during adulthood can significantly reduce the probability of acquiring a self-reported work disability and receiving DI later in life.