Trajectories of disabled people - Institute of Public Policies

Presentation

Public policies on disability aim to ensure the autonomy of disabled people in all aspects of life, which includes, among other things, guaranteeing a sufficient standard of living for them. For people whose disability occurs during working life, this guarantee has been designed within the framework of Social Security as insurance against the loss of earning capacity during a career, through the disability pension scheme (‘pension d’invalidité’ in French). However, this system appears to be insufficient, both in terms of population coverage and income levels, leading many disabled individuals to rely on social minima, particularly the Adult Disability Allowance (AAH according to the French acronym). Furthermore, disability pensions end at the statutory retirement age, raising the issue of retirement income for disabled people once they pass the so-called “working age” period.

Research Team

Coordinator: Patrick Aubert

Patrick Aubert

Delphine Roy

Maxime Tô

Contact the coordinator

Publication

The main objective of this research project is to improve knowledge about the trajectories of individuals who become disabled during their working lives, focusing in particular on their career paths before the onset of disability (or at least before its administrative recognition) and how these trajectories determine the type and amount of benefits they are entitled to, both in the short term (during working life) and in the long term (at retirement). Our main hypothesis is that health problems leading to disability do not always have a sudden impact on careers but can instead develop gradually, progressively deteriorating individuals’ employment situations even before they apply for or meet the necessary disability conditions to be eligible for various benefits (disability pensions or AAH). Career progression before the administrative recognition of disability can therefore significantly influence the benefits individuals receive due to the eligibility conditions attached to these schemes and can thus have a major impact on their income over their entire life cycle.

Method and Data

The project is based on the newly available statistical databases, providing, for the first time, a highly detailed understanding of the career paths and income trajectories of a large sample of the French population. These databases result from cross-referencing DREES samples on recipients of retirement pensions, disability pensions, and social minima (EIR, EIC, and ENIACRAMS) with INSEE panels on employment and income declared to tax authorities (the “All Employees” panel and EDP).
The analysis will be largely descriptive (a detailed description of trajectories, including those preceding the receipt of a disability pension or AAH), but a more causal approach will also be implemented. This will include event study analyses to measure the impact of exogenous health shocks. Additionally, dynamic microsimulation techniques will be used to simulate the effects of changes in eligibility rules and benefit calculations of old-age and disability pensions on individuals’ living standards. These simulations aim, in particular, to support decision-making by institutional stakeholders and suggest improvements to ensure a better standard of living for disabled individuals.