Disability and Economic Well-Being in Old Age

Abstract

Because their income status after retirement depends heavily on their prior experiences, retired people with disabilities face economic hardship compared with those without disability. While they are young, they tend to have less education and lower paying jobs and are less likely to marry. Thus, the question arises: Does disability status per se make them economically disadvantaged? This article presents the results of a study that investigated the net effect of disability status on the income status of retired people at the time of retirement and 10 years later, controlling for demographic variables, education, occupation, and degree of labor force attachment. The major finding was that when other variables were controlled, there was no difference in the income status of disabled and nondisabled persons at these two points in time.