Retirement and Disability Research Consortium Cooperative Agreements Terminated
The beginning of a New Year always brings promises of good things to come. But in the case of a new presidential term, significant potential policy changes could have Americans on edge. Especially those who depend on Social Security or those who have a disability.
An essential initiative for advancing research on issues related to retirement and disability policies in the United States has been the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). For several years, the RDRC provided a platform for researchers to explore critical issues such as retirement security, Social Security, disability benefits, and labor force participation. Recently however, developments have led to the termination of several cooperative agreements within the RDRC, marking a significant change for the future of research in these areas.
On Feb. 21, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it would no longer fund the RDRC, terminating three programs: the Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC), the Office of Transformation, and the Office of Civil Rights and Opportunity.
Background of the RDRC
The RDRC was established by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to support research on policies affecting older Americans and individuals with disabilities. The initiative intended to foster collaborations among researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to improve the understanding of retirement and disability systems.
Research through the RDRC has provided policymakers with valuable insights on the impacts of Social Security reforms, changes in the labor market, and disability insurance. These findings have been critical in shaping legislation, influencing public opinion, and guiding the development of programs aimed at improving the economic well-being of older and disabled individuals.
Termination of the RDRC Cooperative Agreements
This announcement outlines the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision to terminate its Retirement and Disability Research Consortium cooperative agreements.
Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek made the announcement in a press release saying that it is an action that supports President Donald Trump‘s executive order “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, dubbing it a “wasteful department.”
As well all know, when Trump took office, he signed an executive order mandating an end to government-funded DEI efforts and aiming that DEI-related roles be phased out. The administration has also exerted pressure on private sector employers to shift their focus away from DEI initiatives as well. The termination is citing cost savings of $15 million in fiscal year 2025.
The Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity and Office of Transformation also officially closed, putting the office’s employees on administrative leave. The thought behind these closures are to reassign statutory responsibilities performed by these offices, allowing the government to serve Americans more efficiently by streamlining these layers of management.
The termination of the cooperative agreements has sparked questions about the future of the initiative and its research programs being that these were pivotal in funding the research activities of various academic institutions and think tanks, enabling them to undertake extensive studies in the fields of retirement and disability. Concerns have also been raised about the continuity of research in areas critical to social welfare and the long-term sustainability of support for vulnerable populations.
Impact on Research and Policy
The termination of these three cooperative agreements is likely to have several impacts:
- Gaps in Research: Gaps in research may emerge without funding, especially in areas that have historically lacked sufficient study. Disability and retirement, the adequacy of Social Security benefits, and the economic challenges faced by aging workers could see fewer studies, leaving policymakers with limited evidence when making decisions.
- Disruption for Research Institutions: Many academic institutions and research organizations were part of the RDRC’s network. There may now be disruptions for these institutions, potentially leading to layoffs, delays in ongoing projects, or the need to redirect resources toward new research priorities. This may also discourage collaboration between researchers and policymakers in the future.
- Policy Implications: The end of this research could result in lost opportunities for evidence-based reforms that could improve the financial security of retirees and individuals with disabilities. Policymakers rely heavily on research findings to craft effective, long-term policies, and without a steady stream of up-to-date research, reforms may be less informed and potentially less effective.
- Private Sector and Nonprofit Involvement: As government funding for retirement and disability research decreases, we could see a potential rise in private sector or nonprofit-funded research. However, such funding may come with different priorities, possibly with research efforts turning toward issues that are more commercially or politically driven rather than focused on public interest.
Implications of long-running issues with disability benefits
Attorney Charles Hall, representing Social Security disability claimants since 1979, said staffing issues at the agency have been a persistent problem for people seeking benefits.
“Disability claims have been progressively affected by Social Security’s lack of staffing, literally for at least 20 years,” he said. “It certainly has become more and more of an issue.” He indicated that improvements in technology have yet to cover this increase in workload.
Disability claims are done on paper and are labor-intensive, therefore, technology is not enough to solve the problem. “It requires a lot of manpower,” Hall said. “This is much more labor-intensive than people would imagine. … They only think in terms of retirement benefits, which are relatively simple, but the other workloads get pretty complicated.”
Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, told NPR that the process to get disability benefits, in particular, is “so cumbersome and difficult to navigate” and insufficiently staffed that in the last couple of years, “about 10,000 claimants who appealed for their benefits die waiting for their claim to be resolved.”
Wait times for assistance from agency staff have increasingly become a problem and are only going to get worse if the administration makes deep cuts in the workforce. “It really should be looked at, I think, through a different lens and the rest of, you know, whatever else is happening at the federal government and downsizing,” Richtman said.