NB23-21: A Qualitative and Community-Engaged Analysis of Barriers to Completing the SSDI Appeals Process Community-Engaged Analysis of Disability Hearing Process Barriers

We propose a qualitative, community-engaged study to explore the primary barriers to filing SSDI appeals faced by unhoused individuals in Los Angeles County. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits to some of the most vulnerable Americans including those experiencing homelessness. For people living with disabilities, SSDI provides essential income support and health care coverage; without SSDI, many disabled individuals exiting homelessness would go without essential resources like food, housing, and health services. However, applying for SSDI and appealing SSDI decisions is complex, and people experiencing homelessness face substantial barriers to navigating these processes including limited access to transportation, technology, and legal representation. In addition to the challenges, unhoused community members may lack the information necessary to understand the program itself and its multi-stage appeals process (Rosen, McMahon, & Rosenheck, 2007), and may face discouragement, inhibiting participation in the appeals process. People who are disabled are more likely to be unhoused than their able-bodied counterparts (Beer, 2020). Given the rise in homelessness across the United States (HUD, 2022), and the over-representation of people living with disabilities among those experiencing homelessness, barriers in the SSDI appeals process may disproportionately affect these unhoused Americans.