Analysis of Public Retirement System Disability Incidence

Introduction

Public retirement systems commonly administer disability benefits to participants who are unable to work for an extended period. Previous research has shown that these disability benefits exhibit variations among systems in eligibility criteria, benefit levels, and other key plan design features. Although these variations are not closely correlated to outcomes in every case, they do offer valuable insights into the experience of different systems, offering some commonalities among them based on certain shared characteristics. By examining these factors, system stakeholders can gain a deeper understanding of their disability program outcomes and how certain factors might affect those outcomes.

This analysis examines the disability incidence of public retirement systems based on three factors: occupational class, disability eligibility criteria, and disability plan design. Data are distinguished by employee type whenever possible, contingent on the scope of coverage and reporting framework in use among systems and plans.

Date published

July 2024

Contact

Keith Brainard, Research Director
Alex Brown, Research Manager

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