Working Paper: NBER ID: w24913
Authors: Melanie Guldi; Amelia Hawkins; Jeffrey Hemmeter; Lucie Schmidt
Abstract: Low birth weight infants born to mothers with low educational attainment have a double hurdle to overcome in the production of human capital. We examine whether income transfers in the form of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for children with disabilities can help close the gap in outcomes due to this initial health and environmental disadvantage. We exploit a discontinuity in SSI eligibility at 1200 grams and use a regression discontinuity approach to produce causal estimates of the effects of SSI eligibility. We find that eligibility increases disability benefit participation, improves child outcomes and parenting behaviors, and shifts maternal labor supply from full to part time.
Keywords: Supplemental Security Income; Child Outcomes; Birth Weight; Disability Benefits
JEL Codes: H51; H53; I38; J21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| SSI eligibility (I38) | likelihood of family disability benefit receipt (J32) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | child outcomes (parenting behaviors and motor skill development) (J13) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | maternal full-time labor supply (J22) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | maternal part-time labor supply (J22) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | overall health insurance coverage (I13) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | infant mortality rates (J13) |