IRS/SSA Variables

The Census Bureau sent a list of validated SSNs from the seven included SIPP panels to SSA and extracts from the Master Earnings File (Summary and Detailed Earnings Records), Master Beneficiary Record, Supplemental Security Record, 831 Disability File, and Payment History Update System were created. The variables from these files that are included in the SSB are described below. Not all SIPP respondents have linkages to SSA/IRS administrative data, including: those who refused to provide their SSN; those whose SSNs were not validated; and those with valid SSNs who never worked, and never applied for benefits or received benefits. In the Gold Standard, individuals without a validated SSN or without SSA/IRS administrative records had missing data for all SSA/IRS-derived variables described below. Among these people, those respondents without a validated SSN had all administrative data imputed as part of the data completion process. Hence in the completed Gold Standard and the synthetic data, only individuals with no work or benefit history have zero earnings and missing benefits.