CHANGING THE SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY PROGRAM

With the media bombarding Social Security with negative attention and Congress facing tough budget battles, the Congressional Budget Office released a report on July 16 at the request of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).  Among the other benign observations made by the CBO, there is a list of options for Congress to consider regarding the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.  Three of the several options listed in the report are:
  • Change the benefit formula
  • Change the eligibility rules
  • Change the waiting period from 5 months to 12 months.
Currently when an individual applies for Social Security disability there is a better than 70 percent chance the application will be denied by the Disability Determination Service.  The average appeal of that decision in Alabama takes about 14 months.  Even if the claimant is found disabled, current law requires Social Security to subtract 5 months (called a "waiting period") off of the award.  So, if a seriously impaired individual is fortunate enough to be found disabled in January, he or she must wait until May to be eligible for a payment - which will likely be June before it arrives because benefits are paid one month in the arrears.  If the claimant's birthday falls near the end of the month, the payment may not arrive until the end of June, translating into a nearly 7-month wait.  Now, we are considering increasing the wait to 12 months?


Changing the benefit formula is equally dangerous for the disabled.  The eligibility rules are already tough - much more restrictive than those of most private insurance company's disability policies.  While the uninformed media broadsides the Social Security Disability program, the award rates are down and critics are calling for "more savings."  At whose expense?


Everyone agrees that long term changes need to be made in Social Security to make it strong for the future.  I hope that the Congress realizes that the Social Security disability program is a survival lifeline for the nation's truly disabled and that it should not be gutted in the worthwhile effort to balance budgets and make the program solvent.


If anyone cares to read the CBO Report, the following link will take you to it.


Congressional Budget Office Report on Social Security Disability

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Written by Charles W. Forsythe, founding partner with the Forsythe Firm, Social Security disability advocates in Huntsville, AL.  (256) 799-0297.  Visit our web site by clicking here.

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