Payments were made to nearly 12 million people aged 18–64 on the basis of their own disability. Sixty-two percent received disability payments from the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program only, 28 percent received payments from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program only, and 10 percent received payments from both programs.

Disabled beneficiaries aged 18–64 receiving OASDI, SSI, or both

Beneficiary Number
Total (unduplicated) 12,000,000
OASDI disability 8,598,000
Workers aged 64 or younger 7,586,000
Disabled adult children 915,000
Widow(er)s 98,000
OASDI disability only 7,444,000
SSI disability 4,556,000
Receiving SSI disability only 3,402,000
Receiving both OASDI and SSI disability 1,154,000

 

Distribution of Disabled Beneficiaries Aged 18-64

 

SOURCES: SSA, Master Beneficiary Record and Supplemental Security Record, 100 percent data.” Fast Facts and Figures About Social Security”, 2021, p.34.

NOTES: OASDI beneficiaries who are entitled to both a primary and a secondary benefit (dual entitlement) are counted only once. SSI includes federal SSI payments and federally administered state supplementation.

Totals do not necessarily equal the sum of rounded components.

Government Relations and Policy, November 2021