BUZZ FROM SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CIRCLES
If you keep up with blogs, TV news, radio talk or any other media, you will hear a great deal of "buzz" about Social Security disability.
It seems like nearly everyday some "journalist" writes an article about how easy it is to get Social Security disability, even for people who have nothing wrong with them except for alcohol,drug abuse or obesity. Or the writer may wax eloquent concerning the deficits in the Social Security trust funds and how the system is going bankrupt even sooner than first estimated. Usually, they will tie all these woes into the recession, the unemployment rate or the general economy. Most of these conclusions are erroneous but that doesn't seem to slow down the muckraker journalists.
These writers nearly always fail to mention that the national average for award rates (approval rate) for Social Security disability claimants at the hearing level has now fallen to below 50 percent for the first time ever. That's down between 10 and 15 points in the last year. So, apparently, it isn't as easy to get on Social Security disability as some think. It is now against the law to approve Social Security disability benefits based on alcoholism or drug addiction. Several conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, have been removed from the disability listings.
There are so many factors causing problems for Social Security today that it is simplistic and unreasonable to blame the recession, unemployment or the economy for them. First, we have the increased population of the baby boomer generation maturing. People live longer due to advances in medical care. On average, people retire earlier. Since World War II more women have entered the job market and earned Social Security disability coverage. Add the fact that the Social Security trust funds have historically been convenient sources for "interest free loans" whenever Congress needed to borrow some money for budget deficits. If Congress repaid all of the "loans" it took from the Social Security trust fund, the fund would be sound for the indefinite future.
The one sure thing we glean from all the "buzz" is that nobody knows what's going to happen to Social Security in the future. I do believe that the Congress will finally act (in a non-election year, of course) to keep Social Security solvent into the future. Probably this is going to require some combination of reduced or delayed benefits, higher taxes and quite possibly means testing on either disability or retirement benefits, or both. I do not favor means testing for benefits - but I won't be making the call.
The United States must continue to fulfill its promises to its elderly and disabled citizens. Figuring out how to handle that enormous task will require selfless bipartisan determination and common sense - commodities that are often in short supply in Government.
It seems like nearly everyday some "journalist" writes an article about how easy it is to get Social Security disability, even for people who have nothing wrong with them except for alcohol,drug abuse or obesity. Or the writer may wax eloquent concerning the deficits in the Social Security trust funds and how the system is going bankrupt even sooner than first estimated. Usually, they will tie all these woes into the recession, the unemployment rate or the general economy. Most of these conclusions are erroneous but that doesn't seem to slow down the muckraker journalists.
These writers nearly always fail to mention that the national average for award rates (approval rate) for Social Security disability claimants at the hearing level has now fallen to below 50 percent for the first time ever. That's down between 10 and 15 points in the last year. So, apparently, it isn't as easy to get on Social Security disability as some think. It is now against the law to approve Social Security disability benefits based on alcoholism or drug addiction. Several conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, have been removed from the disability listings.
There are so many factors causing problems for Social Security today that it is simplistic and unreasonable to blame the recession, unemployment or the economy for them. First, we have the increased population of the baby boomer generation maturing. People live longer due to advances in medical care. On average, people retire earlier. Since World War II more women have entered the job market and earned Social Security disability coverage. Add the fact that the Social Security trust funds have historically been convenient sources for "interest free loans" whenever Congress needed to borrow some money for budget deficits. If Congress repaid all of the "loans" it took from the Social Security trust fund, the fund would be sound for the indefinite future.
The one sure thing we glean from all the "buzz" is that nobody knows what's going to happen to Social Security in the future. I do believe that the Congress will finally act (in a non-election year, of course) to keep Social Security solvent into the future. Probably this is going to require some combination of reduced or delayed benefits, higher taxes and quite possibly means testing on either disability or retirement benefits, or both. I do not favor means testing for benefits - but I won't be making the call.
The United States must continue to fulfill its promises to its elderly and disabled citizens. Figuring out how to handle that enormous task will require selfless bipartisan determination and common sense - commodities that are often in short supply in Government.
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