Opportunity Information: Apply for NCD 02 12
Apply for NCD 02 12
- The National Council on Disability in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reforming Social Securitys Disability Benefits System" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2012 and posted on May 15, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 18, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $150,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, titled "Reforming Social Securitys Disability Benefits System" (Funding Opportunity Number NCD 02 12), was offered by the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency that advises Congress and the Administration on policies and laws affecting people with disabilities. The purpose of the project is to produce updated, practical recommendations for modernizing the Social Security disability programs, specifically Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). NCD is looking to build on prior research and previous policy work to identify reforms that protect people who cannot work while also improving pathways to employment for those who can, all while strengthening the programs long-term fiscal stability.
The opportunity is grounded in the scale and importance of SSDI and SSI as core parts of the nations disability safety net. SSDI provides cash benefits to eligible disabled workers and their families after a five-month waiting period, with benefits averaging about 1,070 per month at the time of the announcement. Many families depend heavily on these payments; the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that nearly half of families receiving SSDI rely on Social Security as the majority of their income. Some SSDI beneficiaries also receive SSI if they meet strict income and asset limits or face exceptional medical expenses. In addition, most SSDI beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare after a two-year waiting period. NCD highlights the magnitude of these benefits by noting that an average disability award can be worth roughly 250,000 in combined SSDI and Medicare benefits over a recipients lifetime.
A major driver for this grant is the long-term growth and structural strain in the disability system. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the number of disability beneficiaries more than tripled from 2.7 million in 1970 to 9.7 million in 2009. At the same time, even with demonstration projects intended to help beneficiaries transition back to work, research cited in the announcement suggests that current program rules can discourage employment, reduce work capacity over time, promote long-term dependence, and potentially worsen poverty among people the programs are meant to support. NCD also frames reform as urgent from a fiscal perspective, pointing to the Social Security Trustees 2012 projection that the Disability Insurance Trust Fund could be exhausted in 2016, signaling a need for significant modernization rather than incremental adjustments.
The announcement emphasizes that key program structures have not kept pace with social and economic change. One example it gives is that eligibility criteria for SSI and SSDI have remained essentially unchanged since the early 1960s. NCD argues that this is a serious mismatch with modern realities: workplace technology, accommodations, and disability rights protections have advanced significantly, yet the system still uses "complete inability to work" as a core standard for receiving benefits. The project supported by this grant is therefore aimed at developing responsible structural reforms that update eligibility and work-related rules in a way that reflects contemporary opportunities for employment, reduces harmful incentives, and preserves a reliable safety net for people with disabilities who cannot reasonably sustain work.
In practical grant terms, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning the agency likely expected ongoing involvement or collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off award. NCD planned to make one award, with total funding set at 150,000 and both the award floor and ceiling also listed as 150,000, indicating a single fixed-size award. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The activity category is listed as Income Security and Social Services, and eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications that may have appeared in the full notice.
The timeline for the competition shows it was posted on May 15, 2012, with an application deadline of June 18, 2012, and an archive date of July 18, 2012. The point of contact listed for access issues was Julie Carroll, Senior Attorney Advisor at NCD in Washington, DC.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Reforming Social Securitys Disability Benefits System."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is NCD 02 12.
Which agency offered this funding opportunity?
The grant was offered by the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency that advises Congress and the Administration on policies and laws affecting people with disabilities.
What is the overall purpose of the project?
The purpose is to produce updated, practical recommendations for modernizing the Social Security disability programs, specifically Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Which Social Security programs are the focus of the proposed reform recommendations?
The project focuses on SSDI and SSI.
What types of outcomes is NCD seeking from the project?
NCD is seeking recommendations that (1) protect people who cannot work, (2) improve pathways to employment for those who can work, and (3) strengthen the programs long-term fiscal stability.
What does NCD want applicants to build on?
NCD expects the work to build on prior research and previous policy work related to SSDI and SSI reform.
Why does NCD describe SSDI and SSI as important to the disability safety net?
NCD highlights SSDI and SSI as core parts of the nations disability safety net because they provide cash benefits (and, for many SSDI beneficiaries, eventual access to Medicare), and many families depend heavily on these benefits as a primary income source.
How does SSDI generally work, as described in the announcement?
SSDI provides cash benefits to eligible disabled workers and their families after a five-month waiting period. At the time of the announcement, the average benefit was about 1,070 per month.
How reliant are SSDI households on Social Security income according to SSA data cited in the notice?
The notice cites SSA reporting that nearly half of families receiving SSDI rely on Social Security as the majority of their income.
Can SSDI beneficiaries also receive SSI?
Yes. Some SSDI beneficiaries also receive SSI if they meet strict income and asset limits or face exceptional medical expenses.
Does the opportunity mention Medicare in relation to SSDI?
Yes. The announcement notes that most SSDI beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare after a two-year waiting period.
How does NCD characterize the lifetime value of disability benefits?
NCD notes that an average disability award can be worth roughly 250,000 in combined SSDI and Medicare benefits over a recipients lifetime.
What system trends does the announcement cite as motivating reform?
The announcement points to long-term growth and structural strain in the disability system, including data from the Congressional Budget Office that disability beneficiaries more than tripled from 2.7 million in 1970 to 9.7 million in 2009.
What concerns are raised about how current program rules may affect work?
The notice cites research suggesting current rules can discourage employment, reduce work capacity over time, promote long-term dependence, and potentially worsen poverty among people the programs are meant to support, even with demonstration projects intended to help beneficiaries transition back to work.
What fiscal urgency is mentioned in the opportunity?
NCD references the Social Security Trustees 2012 projection that the Disability Insurance Trust Fund could be exhausted in 2016, framing modernization as urgent.
What does NCD say about how current eligibility criteria align with modern realities?
NCD argues that key program structures have not kept pace with social and economic change, noting that eligibility criteria for SSI and SSDI have remained essentially unchanged since the early 1960s.
What modern changes does NCD point to when discussing why reforms are needed?
The notice points to advances in workplace technology, accommodations, and disability rights protections, while the system still uses "complete inability to work" as a core standard for benefits.
What is the intended direction of the reforms discussed in the notice?
The project aims to develop responsible structural reforms that update eligibility and work-related rules to reflect contemporary opportunities for employment, reduce harmful incentives, and preserve a reliable safety net for people with disabilities who cannot reasonably sustain work.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
This was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement in this opportunity?
Based on the notice, a cooperative agreement indicates the agency likely expected ongoing involvement or collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off award.
How many awards did NCD plan to make?
NCD planned to make one award.
What was the total funding amount for the award?
Total funding was set at 150,000.
What were the award floor and ceiling?
Both the award floor and award ceiling were listed as 150,000, indicating a single fixed-size award.
Was there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
What activity category is associated with this funding opportunity?
The activity category is listed as Income Security and Social Services.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications that may have appeared in the full notice.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 15, 2012.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was June 18, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was July 18, 2012.
Who was the point of contact listed for access issues?
The point of contact for access issues was Julie Carroll, Senior Attorney Advisor at NCD in Washington, DC.
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