The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS)
original url:
https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/nbs.html
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Objective
The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) provides SSA, Congress, and other policymakers with information about key factors that contribute to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries’ and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients’ successful or unsuccessful employment efforts. The NBS collects data on a wide range of variables not available in SSA administrative datasets or in other public databases, including socio-demographic information, limiting conditions, health and functional status, health insurance, interest in work, barriers to work, use of services, employment, income, and experience with Social Security programs. These results are valuable in our continuing efforts to improve SSA programs and services so that SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients can reduce their reliance on these programs and become self-sufficient. The NBS data have been used extensively by SSA and external researchers to conduct evaluations of its Ticket to Work program and other SSDI and SSI return-to-work policies and initiatives. SSA also uses data from the NBS to provide timely information to Congress and other stakeholders for purposes of oversight, policymaking, and program evaluation.
All information that we collect for the NBS is strictly confidential and we do not report it in any way that identifies survey respondents. We do not use the information collected for the NBS to determine the continuing eligibility of respondents for disability benefits.
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Status
The NBS, as a standalone agency initiative, ended in 2023, after we completed preparation of the final data files and documentation for the three most recently completed NBS rounds (administered in 2015, 2017, and 2019).
After completing the 2019 NBS round, SSA decided to continue the NBS on a less frequent basis and to do so as one part of a broader set of surveys called the Disability Research Surveys (DRS) initiative. SSA awarded the DRS contract to Mathematica in 2021 and began administering a new NBS round in 2023.
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Key Activities and Design
The NBS collects data from a nationally representative sample of SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients. The agency—through its NBS contractor, Mathematica—designed and tested the survey and administered eight rounds of the NBS in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2023. We conducted the survey using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), except in cases where a respondent preferred or required an in-person interview. After each round, we produce analyses, reports, and data files conveying the survey results, methodology, quality reviews, data parameters and definitions, and other pertinent survey information.
Results
The NBS has been crucial to researchers and analysts within SSA and at other Federal agencies and academic institutions who have used NBS data extensively to evaluate the Ticket to Work program and other SSDI and SSI work incentive programs and policies. These uses of the NBS have resulted in dozens of published research papers and reports, which have augmented our knowledge base regarding the outcomes and impacts of agency policy initiatives. In addition, we have been able to provide timely information to Congress and other stakeholders for purposes of oversight, policymaking, budgetary review, program evaluation, and service improvement. The data we obtain from the NBS (in conjunction with other major data sources) better enables us to provide clear and reliable responses to the inquiries we receive on these issues. We ensure wide availability of and access to the NBS results by posting the NBS data files (public use files) and documentation on our agency intranet and internet sites along with other NBS-related products including selected research papers that have made use of NBS results; NBS fact sheets that highlight findings derived from the NBS; and NBS descriptive statistics which provide a useful overview of NBS results.
Data and Documentation
Round 1 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 2 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 3 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 4 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 5 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 6 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 7 Documentation and Public Use Files
Round 8 Documentation and Public Use Files - Unavailable - Read Why