Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2020

Beneficiaries Who Have Filed for Workers' Compensation or Public Disability Benefits

Notes

In December 2020, approximately 441,000 disabled workers on the Social Security Disability Insurance program had filed for workers' compensation or public disability benefits. Disability payments from private sources, such as private pension or insurance benefits, do not affect Social Security disability benefits, but workers' compensation and other public disability benefits may reduce them. Workers' compensation is paid to a worker because of a job-related injury or illness. It may be paid by federal or state workers' compensation agencies or employers or by insurance companies on behalf of employers.

Other public disability benefits that may affect Social Security disability benefits are those paid by a federal, state, or local government for disabling medical conditions that are not job related. Examples are civil service disability benefits, military disability benefits, state temporary disability benefits, and state or local government retirement benefits that are based on disability. Persons who receive Social Security disability benefits and one of the following types of public benefits will not have their Social Security disability benefit reduced:

  • Veterans Administration benefits;
  • State and local government benefits, if Social Security taxes were deducted from earnings; or
  • Supplemental Security Income.

The total amount received from workers' compensation or other public disability benefits and Social Security disability benefits cannot exceed 80 percent of the worker's average current earnings before he or she became disabled. The monthly Social Security disability benefit includes benefits payable to family members. If the total amount of these benefits exceeds 80 percent of average current earnings, the excess amount is deducted from the Social Security benefit. The benefit is reduced until the month the worker reaches full retirement age or the month the other benefits stop, whichever comes first.

Example

Before becoming disabled, the worker's average current earnings were $4,000 a month. The disabled worker, his or her spouse, and their two children would be eligible to receive a total of $2,200 a month in Social Security disability benefits. However, the disabled worker also receives $2,000 a month from workers' compensation. Because the total amount of benefits received ($4,200) is more than $3,200 (80 percent of average current earnings), the family's Social Security disability benefits will be reduced by $1,000.

Chart 7. Distribution of workers, by diagnostic group and sex, December 2020

Among disabled workers who are also receiving workers' compensation or public disability benefits, a disease of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue was the primary diagnosis in December 2020. Mental disorders were the second leading disabling condition. A disorder of the nervous system and sense organs was the third most common disability for women. Injuries were the third most common disability for men. All other impairments were fairly evenly split between men and women.

Bar chart with tabular version below.
Show as table
Table equivalent for Chart 7. Distribution of workers, by diagnostic group and sex, December 2020 (percent)
Diagnostic group Men Women
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.1 1.5
Injuries 7.7 4.0
Mental disorders 12.0 15.7
Circulatory system 3.5 2.0
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 65.9 64.2
Nervous system and sense organs 4.5 6.8
All other impairments 5.4 5.8
 
SOURCE: Table 34.
Table 31. Distribution of workers and dependents who have filed, by reason for having or not having an offset, December 2020
Reason Total Workers Spouses and children
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
All disabled beneficiaries and dependents 519,357 100.0 441,160 100.0 78,197 100.0
  With offset
Receipt of—  
Workers' compensation only  
Black Lung 447 0.1 319 0.1 128 0.2
Harbor Workers and Longshoremen 298 0.1 230 0.1 68 0.1
Federal employees 3,880 0.7 3,301 0.7 579 0.7
State 65,041 12.5 50,045 11.3 14,996 19.2
Public disability only  
Federal 416 0.1 379 0.1 37 (L)
State 7,990 1.5 6,742 1.5 1,248 1.6
Local 457 0.1 365 0.1 92 0.1
Workers' compensation and public disability 364 0.1 328 0.1 36 (L)
Social Security Disability Insurance (reverse offset) 38,601 7.4 32,751 7.4 5,850 7.5
  Without offset
High average current earnings 344,313 66.3 296,657 67.2 47,656 60.9
Entitlement to workers' compensation or public disability benefits is pending 57,550 11.1 50,043 11.3 7,507 9.6
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Workers' Compensation and Public Disability Benefit file, 100 percent data.
NOTE: (L) = less than 0.05 percent.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 32. Distribution of workers and dependents who have filed, by state or other area of residence, December 2020
State or area Total Workers Spouses and children
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
All areas 519,357 100.0 441,160 100.0 78,197 100.0
Alabama 9,455 1.8 7,742 1.8 1,713 2.2
Alaska 371 0.1 321 0.1 50 0.1
Arizona 6,547 1.3 5,656 1.3 891 1.1
Arkansas 4,265 0.8 3,553 0.8 712 0.9
California 62,605 12.1 55,052 12.5 7,553 9.7
Colorado 5,682 1.1 4,943 1.1 739 0.9
Connecticut 4,818 0.9 4,087 0.9 731 0.9
Delaware 1,673 0.3 1,456 0.3 217 0.3
District of Columbia 220 (L) 204 (L) 16 (L)
Florida 27,455 5.3 23,572 5.3 3,883 5.0
Georgia 18,982 3.7 16,098 3.6 2,884 3.7
Hawaii 1,405 0.3 1,188 0.3 217 0.3
Idaho 2,053 0.4 1,725 0.4 328 0.4
Illinois 15,029 2.9 12,638 2.9 2,391 3.1
Indiana 4,003 0.8 3,367 0.8 636 0.8
Iowa 4,157 0.8 3,551 0.8 606 0.8
Kansas 2,476 0.5 2,065 0.5 411 0.5
Kentucky 12,625 2.4 10,454 2.4 2,171 2.8
Louisiana 7,652 1.5 6,182 1.4 1,470 1.9
Maine 4,510 0.9 3,898 0.9 612 0.8
Maryland 3,861 0.7 3,367 0.8 494 0.6
Massachusetts 15,196 2.9 12,736 2.9 2,460 3.1
Michigan 25,408 4.9 21,243 4.8 4,165 5.3
Minnesota 6,843 1.3 5,926 1.3 917 1.2
Mississippi 5,166 1.0 4,232 1.0 934 1.2
Missouri 8,703 1.7 7,500 1.7 1,203 1.5
Montana 1,569 0.3 1,357 0.3 212 0.3
Nebraska 1,442 0.3 1,199 0.3 243 0.3
Nevada 2,962 0.6 2,610 0.6 352 0.5
New Hampshire 3,552 0.7 2,959 0.7 593 0.8
New Jersey 12,258 2.4 10,163 2.3 2,095 2.7
New Mexico 2,673 0.5 2,323 0.5 350 0.4
New York 67,380 13.0 56,396 12.8 10,984 14.0
North Carolina 20,513 3.9 17,548 4.0 2,965 3.8
North Dakota 550 0.1 479 0.1 71 0.1
Ohio 11,884 2.3 10,349 2.3 1,535 2.0
Oklahoma 5,421 1.0 4,682 1.1 739 0.9
Oregon 4,953 1.0 4,348 1.0 605 0.8
Pennsylvania 35,069 6.8 29,512 6.7 5,557 7.1
Rhode Island 2,743 0.5 2,321 0.5 422 0.5
South Carolina 12,756 2.5 10,794 2.4 1,962 2.5
South Dakota 739 0.1 634 0.1 105 0.1
Tennessee 11,844 2.3 9,960 2.3 1,884 2.4
Texas 9,484 1.8 7,856 1.8 1,628 2.1
Utah 1,274 0.2 1,054 0.2 220 0.3
Vermont 966 0.2 830 0.2 136 0.2
Virginia 9,060 1.7 7,640 1.7 1,420 1.8
Washington 9,740 1.9 8,397 1.9 1,343 1.7
West Virginia 4,167 0.8 3,314 0.8 853 1.1
Wisconsin 7,180 1.4 6,094 1.4 1,086 1.4
Wyoming 488 0.1 414 0.1 74 0.1
Outlying areas  
Puerto Rico 16,539 3.2 14,432 3.3 2,107 2.7
Other a 107 (L) 77 (L) 30 (L)
Foreign countries 884 0.2 662 0.2 222 0.3
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Workers' Compensation and Public Disability Benefit file, 100 percent data.
NOTES: Distribution is by state or other area of residence, not by the state paying benefits.
(L) = less than 0.05 percent.
a. Includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 33. Distribution of workers who have filed, by diagnostic group and age, December 2020
Diagnostic group Total, all ages Under 35 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–FRA
  Number
Total 441,160 2,649 5,275 12,235 25,934 58,943 125,843 210,281
Congenital anomalies 213 8 3 10 21 33 58 80
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 5,427 31 58 117 281 734 1,477 2,729
Infectious and parasitic diseases 2,219 11 22 63 119 287 658 1,059
Injuries 27,417 387 629 1,119 2,011 3,859 7,369 12,043
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 61 16 5 4 4 5 11 16
Developmental disorders 86 5 3 4 7 15 27 25
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 29 (X) (X) 5 6 4 7 (X)
Intellectual disorders 2,938 41 54 95 185 513 833 1,217
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 33,251 272 477 1,045 2,396 4,994 9,169 14,898
Neurocognitive disorders 8,784 114 222 404 695 1,336 2,384 3,629
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 4,304 169 140 235 326 659 1,089 1,686
Other mental disorders 9,609 159 319 589 910 1,636 2,586 3,410
Neoplasms 5,467 101 109 181 361 681 1,537 2,497
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 322 12 11 22 28 45 77 127
Circulatory system 12,922 48 121 244 580 1,475 3,639 6,815
Digestive system 2,184 30 47 85 144 289 630 959
Genitourinary system 2,670 86 90 153 255 486 713 887
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 287,780 746 2,325 6,528 15,208 37,023 83,706 142,244
Nervous system and sense organs 23,946 333 501 1,021 1,727 3,412 6,654 10,298
Respiratory system 5,823 21 28 86 233 602 1,677 3,176
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 414 10 11 24 24 53 115 177
Other 367 (X) (X) 14 24 53 89 (X)
Unknown 4,927 43 92 187 389 749 1,338 2,129
  Percent
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Congenital anomalies (L) 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 (L) (L)
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3
Infectious and parasitic diseases 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Injuries 6.2 14.6 11.9 9.1 7.8 6.5 5.9 5.7
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders (L) 0.6 0.1 (L) (L) (L) (L) (L)
Developmental disorders (L) 0.2 0.1 (L) (L) (L) (L) (L)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified (L) (X) (X) (L) (L) (L) (L) (X)
Intellectual disorders 0.7 1.5 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.6
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 7.5 10.3 9.0 8.5 9.2 8.5 7.3 7.1
Neurocognitive disorders 2.0 4.3 4.2 3.3 2.7 2.3 1.9 1.7
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 1.0 6.4 2.7 1.9 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.8
Other mental disorders 2.2 6.0 6.0 4.8 3.5 2.8 2.1 1.6
Neoplasms 1.2 3.8 2.1 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Circulatory system 2.9 1.8 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.5 2.9 3.2
Digestive system 0.5 1.1 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5
Genitourinary system 0.6 3.2 1.7 1.3 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 65.2 28.2 44.1 53.4 58.6 62.8 66.5 67.6
Nervous system and sense organs 5.4 12.6 9.5 8.3 6.7 5.8 5.3 4.9
Respiratory system 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.3 1.5
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Other 0.1 (X) (X) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 (X)
Unknown 1.1 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.0
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Workers' Compensation and Public Disability Benefit file, 100 percent data.
NOTE: FRA = full retirement age; (L) = less than 0.05 percent; (X) = suppressed to avoid disclosing information about particular individuals.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.
Table 34. Distribution of workers who have filed, by diagnostic group and sex, December 2020
Diagnostic group Total Men Women
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
All disabled workers 441,160 100.0 267,650 100.0 173,510 100.0
Congenital anomalies 213 (L) 122 (L) 91 0.1
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases 5,427 1.2 2,864 1.1 2,563 1.5
Infectious and parasitic diseases 2,219 0.5 1,798 0.7 421 0.2
Injuries 27,417 6.2 20,538 7.7 6,879 4.0
Mental disorders  
Autism spectrum disorders 61 (L) 43 (L) 18 (L)
Developmental disorders 86 (L) 55 (L) 31 (L)
Childhood and adolescent disorders not elsewhere classified 29 (L) 17 (L) 12 (L)
Intellectual disorders 2,938 0.7 2,209 0.8 729 0.4
Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders 33,251 7.5 15,303 5.7 17,948 10.3
Neurocognitive disorders 8,784 2.0 6,530 2.4 2,254 1.3
Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders 4,304 1.0 2,839 1.1 1,465 0.8
Other mental disorders 9,609 2.2 4,905 1.8 4,704 2.7
Neoplasms 5,467 1.2 2,865 1.1 2,602 1.5
Diseases of the—  
Blood and blood-forming organs 322 0.1 168 0.1 154 0.1
Circulatory system 12,922 2.9 9,374 3.5 3,548 2.0
Digestive system 2,184 0.5 1,313 0.5 871 0.5
Genitourinary system 2,670 0.6 1,803 0.7 867 0.5
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 287,780 65.2 176,313 65.9 111,467 64.2
Nervous system and sense organs 23,946 5.4 12,143 4.5 11,803 6.8
Respiratory system 5,823 1.3 3,452 1.3 2,371 1.4
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 414 0.1 207 0.1 207 0.1
Other 367 0.1 165 0.1 202 0.1
Unknown 4,927 1.1 2,624 1.0 2,303 1.3
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Workers' Compensation and Public Disability Benefit file, 100 percent data.
NOTE: (L) = less than 0.05 percent.
CONTACT: (410) 965-0090 or statistics@ssa.gov.