to the State on SDX magnetic tapes. A monthly SDX file is also provided which, depending on the type of agreement between Social Security Administration and the State, contains either a record for every individual who received a payment at the beginning of the month (option 1) or a record only for each individual whose payment amount differs from the previous month (option 2). Where cases cannot be immediately processed through the SSI system and reflected in the SDX, manual Medicaid eligibility notification procedures have been established between Social Security Administration DO's and State offices to provide the necessary data on SSI recipients. Linkage Between SSI and the Food Stamp Program: The Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 is expected to be signed into law by the President very shortly. This legislation requires that a system be devised whereby an SSI applicant who lives in a household of which there is no nonSSI member may apply for food stamps at a Social Security office. We estimate that about 75 percent of all SSI applicants live in households in which all members are SSI recipients or applicants. Once this legislation is implemented, there will be no need to refer these people to another agency to file for food stamps. It should also be pointed out that California and Massachusetts have "cashedout" SSI recipients from the food stamp program. Approximately 18 percent of all SSI applicants live in these two States. A joint Social Security Administration-Department of Agriculture work group has been established to plan for the implementation of this Act. Among the options being considered are co-location of a State food stamp agency employee and development of special food stamp applications that would be completed with assistance from SSA employees who would receive special training. While we have not worked out exact implementation agreements, we are, of course, considering the impact of the various options on the SSI applicants who are specifically covered in the law and on those SSI and Title II (social security) applicants to whom we are no required to offer this service. Our concern is that the interest of the applicants be served in the most effective way from their perspective and from ours as well. In conclusion, age is certainly a factor in the various programs in which SSA plays a major role. An obvious example is retirement insurance benefits for which young workers do not qualify. As this statement has pointed out, criteria for referring people for vocational rehabilitation or social services are not always under the control of the Social Security Administration. In areas where we do have such control, it is our policy to provide a high level of service to all regardless of age. During my appearance before the Commission on Civil Rights on One of the questions asked was the median age of rehabilitants. The following represent the median age of rehabilitants reported to the Social Security Administration by the State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. It should be understood that these figures are accumulated by us only on social security beneficiaries reported rehabilitated and who have been provided case services with the special funds made available to the VR agencies under the Social Security Act. Additionally, the data represent only reported rehabilitations; not all have been terminated from the social security disability insurance or supplemental security income rolls. It should be kept in mind that information on rehabilitation in general should be sought from the Rehabilitation Services Administration and that the above data on rehabilitations does not necessarily apply to the regular rehabilitation programs. The other question asked related to data on allowed claimants by impairment category and age. I am enclosing a table showing this information for 1973, the latest year we have available. NOV 3 REDD |