Summary

This paper examines high-frequency patterns that happen within the experiences with, behaviors throughout, and attitudes towards COVID-19 amongst folks with disabilities because the pandemic started.  It additionally examines the timing and predictors of plans to use for Social Safety advantages because of the pandemic.  It makes use of biweekly and month-to-month information from the Understanding Coronavirus in America survey of the Understanding America Examine and from the Family Pulse Survey.  All analyses are descriptive. 

The paper highlights the next findings:

• Folks with and with out disabilities held largely related beliefs about security associated to COVID-19, such because the perceived security of attending massive gatherings and the effectiveness of carrying masks.  Nevertheless, folks with disabilities engaged in habits in line with lowering the danger of an infection for longer intervals through the pandemic relative to folks with out disabilities.
• Folks with disabilities reported completely different ranges of financial profit receipt all through the pandemic.  They had been extra prone to report receiving financial stimulus funds and had been much less prone to report making use of for or (if employed) receiving unemployment insurance coverage early within the pandemic in contrast with folks with out disabilities.
• Folks with disabilities reported larger ranges of uncertainty, particularly when assessing plans for receiving the COVID vaccine.
• Respondents reported that COVID-19 impacted current purposes and plans to use for Social Safety Administration (SSA) packages together with Previous-Age and Survivors Insurance coverage, Social Safety Incapacity Insurance coverage (SSDI), or Supplemental Safety Earnings advantages.  Controlling for different covariates, respondents who famous that COVID-19 impacted their plans had been extra prone to have utilized for or deliberate to use for these advantages.  Those that just lately utilized to SSDI had been extra prone to report that COVID influenced their resolution to use earlier, slightly than later, on common.

The coverage implications of the findings are as follows:

• Throughout future public well being emergencies, folks with disabilities and others who engaged in protecting behaviors longer by way of the pandemic may profit from helps, similar to devoted grocery retailer hours or stimulus funds, for longer intervals of time.
• Speedy analysis and information sharing targeted on folks with disabilities might encourage protected returns to pre-pandemic actions.
• If respondents’ self-reported plans come to fruition, SSA may observe a rise in purposes to numerous packages after 2020 due partially to the pandemic and may anticipate extra will increase after future public well being emergencies.