	Introduction

Although Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) both provide income support to eligible individuals, the two programs serve largely separate populations. SSDI provides long-term benefits to statutorily disabled individuals who worked in jobs covered by Social Security and to their eligible dependents. In contrast, UI provides temporary benefits to involuntarily unemployed workers who meet the requirements of state law. Opponents argue that concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI benefits is consistent and appropriate under law, because the SSDI program actively encourages beneficiaries to return to work through various work incentives. This report provides background on SSDI and UI and explains how individuals may be eligible for both programs concurrently. The report ends with a discussion of potential issues in implementing such proposals. GAO Report on Overlapping SSDI and UI Benefits

In July 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that examined the issue of overlapping SSDI and UI benefits. GAO found that in FY2010, 117,000 individuals received more than $850 million in concurrent benefit payments from the SSDI and UI programs. These individuals represented about 1% of the beneficiaries in each program, and the cash payments they received in FY2010 totaled more than $281 million from SSDI (0.2% of annual benefit outlays) and more than $575 million from UI (0.4% of annual benefit outlays). Number of Concurrent SSDI and UI Recipients

As shown in Table 1 , SSA's Office of the Chief Actuary estimates that for each month in 2015, an average of about 0.34% of disabled-worker beneficiaries will be in concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI benefits. Arguments For and Against Preventing or Reducing Concurrent Receipt of SSDI and UI

Proponents of eliminating or abating concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI benefits argue that the practice is "double dipping" or duplicative, because both programs are intended to replace lost earnings. Proponents also maintain that receipt of one benefit is fundamentally contradictory with the eligibility requirements of the other, in that UI beneficiaries are required to be able and available for work (as determined under state law), whereas SSDI beneficiaries must be generally unable to work due to a severe physical or mental impairment. They contend that denying or offsetting the SSDI benefits of individuals in receipt of UI would discourage disabled-worker beneficiaries from attempting to return to work. In addition, many opponents contend that such proposals discriminate against individuals with disabilities who have lost their job through no fault of their own. Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress to Prevent or Reduce Concurrent Receipt of SSDI and UI

Several proposals have been introduced in the 114 th Congress to deny or limit overlapping SSDI and UI benefits. These proposals take one of three approaches:
The first approach treats receipt of UI payments as engaging in SGA for SSDI eligibility purposes ( H.R. 918 and S. 499 ); The second approach suspends SSDI benefits for any month in which a disabled-worker beneficiary receives UI payments ( S. 343 ); and The third approach reduces SSDI benefits, dollar for dollar, by the amount of UI payments (the President's FY2016 budget).
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) are forms of social insurance that provide protection against the risk of economic loss due to specific adverse events. SSDI provides long-term benefits to nonelderly workers and their eligible dependents if the worker is unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to a qualifying impairment. UI provides temporary benefits to involuntarily unemployed workers who meet the requirements of state law. Although SSDI and UI serve largely separate populations, some individuals may be concurrently (simultaneously) eligible for benefits under both programs.
In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined the issue of overlapping SSDI and UI benefits. GAO found that in FY2010, 117,000 individuals received more than $850 million in concurrent benefit payments from the SSDI and UI programs. These individuals represented about 1% of the beneficiaries in each program, and the benefit payments they received constituted 0.2% of SSDI benefit outlays and 0.4% of UI benefit outlays for that year. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that for each month in 2015, an average of about 0.34% of disabled-worker beneficiaries will be in concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI (approximately 30,000 people).
During the 114th Congress, several proposals have been introduced to deny or offset the SSDI benefits of disabled-worker beneficiaries who receive UI benefits. These proposals take one of three approaches.
The first approach treats receipt of UI payments as engaging in SGA, which would prevent UI recipients from qualifying for SSDI. It could also lead to a suspension or termination of SSDI benefits for individuals already entitled to SSDI who receive UI payments based on work activity that occurred under an SSA-approved work incentive. The second approach suspends SSDI benefits for any month in which a disabled-worker beneficiary receives UI payments. The third approach reduces SSDI benefits, dollar for dollar, by the amount of UI benefits.
Supporters of these proposals argue that concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI benefits is "double dipping" or duplicative, because both programs are intended to replace lost earnings. They also maintain that receipt of one benefit is fundamentally contradictory with the eligibility requirements of the other: UI beneficiaries are required to be able and available for work (as determined under state law), whereas SSDI beneficiaries must be generally unable to work due to a severe physical or mental impairment that prevents them from performing SGA.
Opponents argue that concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI benefits is consistent and appropriate under law, because the SSDI program actively encourages beneficiaries to return to work through various work incentives. Many opponents also contend that denying or offsetting the SSDI benefits of individuals in receipt of UI discriminates against people with disabilities who have lost their job through no fault of their own.
This report provides an overview of the SSDI and UI programs and explores the issue of overlapping payments. It also examines many of the proposals introduced during the 114th Congress to prevent or reduce concurrent receipt of SSDI and UI. The report ends with a discussion of potential issues for SSA in implementing such proposals.