Introducing BOND (the Benefit Offset National Demonstration)

Arizona/Southeast California – 1/11/2011

Introducing BOND

(the Benefit Offset National Demonstration)

Arizona/Southeast California – 1/11/2011 2

Overview of BOND

What is BOND? • BOND stands for Benefit Offset

National Demonstration, a program of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

• BOND is a new approach to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program that is being tested in 10 sites, covering roughly 20 percent of the country.

• BOND is a field test and evaluation of policy and service changes to SSDI.


Why are we introducing BOND to you?• Your organization serves people with

disabilities, including SSDI beneficiaries.

• BOND will provide significant opportunities for thousands of these beneficiaries around the country.

• We want you to understand how BOND will work and how it will affect those you serve.

• We want to establish BOND’s credibility with you and ask your assistance in making it known and understood.


Background of the BOND Project• There is a very low rate of return to

work among SSDI beneficiaries. • Because of the monthly amount of

SSDI benefits (an average of $1,066 in August 2010), beneficiaries and their families often struggle financially.

• Low levels of work and high levels of reliance on SSDI have contributed to the growth in SSDI program costs.


Background of the BOND Project• Many factors potentially explain

why relatively few SSDI beneficiaries who return to work eventually leave the benefit rolls, even temporarily:» Medical and functional status» Cash cliff» Need for work-related services » Concern over effect of increased earnings

on other benefits» Distrust of government agencies.


BOND: Testing Potential Solutions to the Problem

• BOND will test innovations to SSDI that are designed to address the financial disincentives and other obstacles to increasing the incomes and reducing the dependence on benefits of SSDI beneficiaries.

• These innovations include:» Removing the Cash Cliff» Administrative Program Changes» Increased Counseling Services for

Beneficiaries.


BOND: Testing Potential Solutions to the Problem• Under current policy, there is an incentive

for beneficiaries to work only as much as will keep their earnings below the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold.

• BOND allows them to work and earn much more and still keep some of their cash benefits and all of their Medicare coverage.

• BOND also allows them to work enough hours to (a) qualify for fringe benefits from many employers, (b) take full advantage of the EITC and other tax breaks, and (c) have more involvement in the workplace.


SSDI Beneficiary Eligibility for BOND

• To be eligible to participate in BOND, a beneficiary must be:» At least age 20 and under age 60» Entitled to Title II benefits based on

disability» Not have benefits in terminated status» Residing in one of the 10 BOND sites» Not currently or previously

participating in another SSA demonstration.


SSDI Beneficiary Eligibility for BONDBOND Sites:• 10 SSA Area jurisdictions around the

country were randomly selected for this test (some small areas of these states may be excluded):» Alabama» Arizona/Southeast California» Colorado/Wyoming» DC Metro» Greater Detroit» Greater Houston» Northern New England» South Florida» Western New York» Wisconsin.


BOND – Arizona/Southeast California


BOND’s Design

• BOND is a research project as well as a demonstration.

• Congress asked for this research to learn the effects of putting a benefit offset in the SSDI program.

• The best way to answer—and the only way to be sure the research results stem from the program changes and not from other factors—is to use random assignment and compare the groups’ outcomes.

Susan Azeka Kalasunas


Overview of Random Assignment Process

T1 C1

Recruitment & Informed Consent

All Eligible DI-Only & ConcurrentBeneficiaries in Sites

Stage 2Volunteers

$1 for $2Offset

$1 for $2 Offset withEnhanced Work

Incentives Counseling

ControlGroup

Control Group

Stage 1 Random Assignment

$1 for $2Offset

Eligible DI-OnlyBeneficiaries:

Stage 2Solicitation Pool


T22

C2T21

T1 C1

Recruitment & Informed Consent

All Eligible DI-Only & ConcurrentBeneficiaries in Sites

Stage 2Volunteers

$1 for $2Offset

$1 for $2 Offset withEnhanced Work

Incentives Counseling

ControlGroup

Control Group


$1 for $2Offset

Eligible DI-OnlyBeneficiaries:

Stage 2Solicitation Pool


T22

C2T21


BOND Treatment and Control Groups• Stage 1 random assignment will generate

three groups:» A group of that receives the benefit offset (some

80,000 people in the 10 sites)» A current law control group» A group that is invited to volunteer for Stage 2

(the solicitation pool, over 300,000 people).• Stage 2 random assignment of volunteers will

generate three groups: » An offset-only treatment group (4,800 people)» A treatment group offered both the offset and

EWIC (3,000 people)» Another current law control group (4,800

people).


Purpose of Stage 1 and 2

Two different questions to answerTwo Stages of outreach and recruitmentStage 1

• Allows assessment of the effect of the benefit offset on the entire population that SSA serves

• Includes SSDI only and concurrent beneficiaries • Information with limited outreach.

Stage 2• Designed to measure the impacts on

beneficiaries for whom benefit offset could be most effective

• Excludes concurrent beneficiaries• Information and intensive outreach.


Outreach and Recruitment Overview: Stage 1

Key Points of Communication• Treatment group (T1)

» “Good news” letter: T1 group will be notified of its eligibility for the benefit offset between April and June 2011

» Outreach calls: Part of the group (those with evidence of work) will be called a year after letter.

• Potential Volunteers » Communication during Stage 2: Will

be recruited between January 2011 and September 2012.


Outreach and Recruitment Overview: Stage 2

Stage 2 volunteers will be randomly assigned toone of two treatment groups and one control

group:• T21 group: Members will be eligible for the

benefit offset and regular work incentives counseling (same treatment received by T1 group)

• T22 group: Members will be eligible for the benefit offset and enhanced work incentives counseling

• C2 group: These beneficiaries will not be eligible for the benefit offset and will continue with current SSDI rules.


Successfully Attracting Stage 2 Volunteers

The goals of Stage 2 outreach and recruitment:• Inform members of the solicitation pool

about the benefit offset and the potential opportunity that BOND affords

• Generate a willingness to volunteer among a sufficient number of eligible beneficiaries in solicitation pool

• Randomly assign and enroll those who potentially stand to benefit from the opportunity.


Successfully Attracting Stage 2 Volunteers

The activities that comprise the Stage 2outreach and recruitment strategy

include:• Introducing BOND to a wide range of community

agencies and organizations in this site.• Sending outreach letters to members of the

solicitation pool • Responding to inquiries generated by the letters• Conducting outreach phone calls to those not

responding to the letters• Creating and informing an informal network of

community stakeholders who can generate additional interest in and support for the demonstration.


Outreach and the Community

Successfully attracting Stage 2 volunteers will

be extremely challenging due to:• Numerous points of resistance and obstacles

perceived by beneficiaries• Anticipated portions of the beneficiary

population who may not be able or willing to work

• Anxiety among some beneficiaries about altering the status quo

• Skepticism and even mistrust of SSA’s intentions and motives in sponsoring BOND.



How can you help? Does your organization…• Have members who receive SSDI benefits?• Provide services to persons with disabilities,

including SSDI beneficiaries?• Provide information to audiences that include

persons with disabilities?• Have geographical reach to some or all of the

BOND sites?

Then you can help reach out and informbeneficiaries about this opportunity.



BOND must become integrated into the fabric

of the disability communities in each site,because it will “take a village” to:

• Establish awareness and familiarity with BOND• Answer questions and vouch for the credibility

and importance of BOND• Help beneficiaries become familiar with the BOND

opportunity and fully explore its potential benefits• Provide convenient and comfortable locations for

enrollment.



We are asking that state and local groups and

disability communities in each site: • Become familiar with the basic information

about BOND and the benefit offset opportunity;• Provide beneficiaries who are randomly selected

for BOND and receive a letter from the project with a blend of information and encouragement to promote their full consideration of BOND;

• Distribute brochures/posters to help market BOND; and

• Help identify temporary venues for conducting enrollment sessions away from the site office.


What’s happening now on BOND? • Site offices are open in the 10 BOND

sites, each located for best geographical access by the beneficiary population.

• The offices are staffed and are undertaking the initial steps, especially community outreach.

• Random assignment has begun, and we are preparing the first outreach to the Stage 2 volunteer pool.

• Work incentives counseling services—whether regular or enhanced—are being put in place now.


What happens next?

The first three months of BOND operations will be a

pilot period.• Timing: Late January to March/April 2011• Features: Limited scale of operations

(smaller numbers for outreach, narrower geographical reach in biggest sites)

• Purpose: Implement, examine, and refine the various procedures that support outreach, recruitment, enrollment, and site operations. This will be done by trying and comparing alternative strategies.


BOND Project Implementation Timeline • Site office opening—November 2010

• Stage 1 random assignment—January 2011

• Stage 2 pilot recruitment—begins January 2011

• Stage 1 outreach—begins April/May 2011

• Stage 2 full recruitment—begins April/May 2011

• Stage 2 random assignment—ends September 2012

• Site operations end—September 30, 2012.


BOND Project Timeline (continued)• Beneficiaries assigned to one of the benefit

offset groups can begin using the offset as soon as they have used their Trial Work and Grace Period months.

• Beneficiaries have until September 2017 to reach that point and take advantage of the offset.

• The offset is available to each individual for up to 60 months.

• Work incentives counseling services—whether regular or enhanced—will continue to be available through September 2017.

• The demonstration’s research results will be final in 2018.


Questions?

Introducing BOND (the Benefit Offset National Demonstration)

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