Financial incentives and earnings of disability insurance recipients: Evidence from a notch design

Most countries reduce disability insurance (DI ) benefits for beneficiaries earning above a specified threshold. Such an earnings threshold generates a discontinuous increase in tax liability-a notch-and creates an incentive to keep earnings below the threshold. Exploiting such a notch in Austria, w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ruh, P. (Author), Staubli, S. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Economic Association 2019
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
LEADER 01266nam a2200145Ia 4500
001 10.1257-pol.20160076
008 220511s2019 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 19457669 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Financial incentives and earnings of disability insurance recipients: Evidence from a notch design 
260 0 |b American Economic Association  |c 2019 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20160076 
520 3 |a Most countries reduce disability insurance (DI ) benefits for beneficiaries earning above a specified threshold. Such an earnings threshold generates a discontinuous increase in tax liability-a notch-and creates an incentive to keep earnings below the threshold. Exploiting such a notch in Austria, we provide transparent and credible identification of the effect of financial incentives on DI beneficiaries' earnings. Using rich administrative data, we document large and sharp bunching at the earnings threshold. However, the elasticity driving these responses is small. Our estimate suggests that relaxing the earnings threshold reduces fiscal cost only if program entry is very inelastic. © 2019 American Economic Association. 
700 1 |a Ruh, P.  |e author 
700 1 |a Staubli, S.  |e author 
773 |t American Economic Journal: Microeconomics