Should Addicts Get Welfare?

Abstract:     
This articles explores the history of federal SSI/SSDI benefits for those disabled by addictions, the competing definitions of addiction itself, and the policy rationales for repeated changes in the rules. I argue, as a policy matter, that addicts should be allowed to receive SSI/SSDI disability payments, perhaps subject to conditions, as the empirical evidence indicates such benefits encourage rehabilitation and reduce the incidence of addiction.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 56

Keywords: SSI, SSDI, social welfare, drugs, alcohol, addiction, substance abuse, medicaid, medicare, social insurance, moral hazard, adverse selection, welfare reform

JEL Classification: D31, D62, D78, H23, H53, H55, I12, I38, K42,

Accepted Paper Series