Is supported employment effective for Disability Insurance recipients with mental health conditions? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Belgium

We conduct a randomized experiment (n = 600) to evaluate a Supported Employment (SE) program that, through intensive job coaching and follow-along support, aims to increase work activity of Belgian Disability Insurance (DI) recipients with mental health conditions. The control group gets regular vocational rehabilitation. After a 30-month follow-up period, we find that SE increases the probability of working while claiming DI by 7.5 percentage points and reduces the amount of DI benefit received by 110 euros per month (-9.5 percent).