COVID Has Disrupted Schools’ Role as a Funnel for Federal Aid – Center for Retirement Research

The Supplemental Security Income program supports more than 1 million children with disabilities nationwide. Poor and low-income families receive monthly payments of up to $943 to help with their care. In most states, the child’s automatic Medicaid eligibility is part of the SSI package.

A new study finds that the pandemic has disrupted the natural channel for families to receive information about this important financial support: schools.

All but two states — rural Montana and Wyoming — immediately closed schools in the spring of 2020 to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Applications for Federal Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, dropped after parents lost that connection to information about the program. At the beginning of 2020, applications submitted on behalf of children aged 5 to 13 with severe physical or mental disabilities fell by more than a third compared to the previous year.

While states are simultaneously closing their public schools to control the spread of COVID, the timing of reopening varies greatly. Southern states like Alabama reopened their schools at the start of the 2020-2021 school year, while schools in Massachusetts and other northeastern states tend to continue virtual or blended learning for much of that year. However, even within a district, reopening decisions often differed at the district and school level.

The researchers were able to show the decline in SSI claims resulting from school closures by comparing SSI claim rates between October 2020 and January 2021 in counties where most schools remained closed and counties where some reopened.

Nationwide, applications dropped 19 percent more during school closures. The biggest decline was for children in elementary and middle school.

Researchers also found evidence of how schools influence SSI applications by looking at the role of school psychologists.

Not all schools have someone to help students with mental health and behavioral problems. But in their practice, psychologists are often at the forefront of identifying children with disabilities, informing their parents about the availability of SSI assistance, and sometimes documenting the child’s eligibility for SSI. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act also requires schools to screen all children suspected of having a disability, including an intellectual or learning disability.

However, when schools were closed, it became more difficult for school psychologists to provide this important service. Applications fell sharply in counties that employed more psychologists and many of them remained closed during the violence, according to the researchers. Applications in districts that didn’t employ many school psychologists — and where those services weren’t available even when schools were open — didn’t see a drop when they closed during the violence.

The results of this study are clear: schools “play an important role in how children and families learn and apply for SSI,” the researchers said.

Reading this learn by Michael Levere, Jeffrey Hemmeter, and David Wittenburg, see “The Importance of Schools in Driving Children’s Claims for Disability Benefits.”

The research reported here is derived in whole or in part from research activities conducted pursuant to a grant from the US Social Security Administration (SSA) funded as part of the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium. The opinions and conclusions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policy of SSA, any federal government agency, or Boston College. Neither the United States government nor any of its agencies, nor any of its employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the contents of this report. Reference herein to any particular commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not imply endorsement, recommendation or favor by the United States Government or any agency thereof.