2.2 Million Go On Disability Since Mid-2010; Fraud Explains Falling Unemployment Rate

Townhall.com ^ | May 6, 2012 | Mike Shedlock

[Kaslin]

Since mid-2010, precisely at the time millions of US citizens used up all of their 99 week of unemployment insurance, disability claims have risen by 2.2 million. Those on disability are not counted in the workforce and are not considered unemployed.

Please consider Disabled Americans Shrink Size of U.S. Labor Force

[tbw2]

Would could be done to winnow the disability roles and prevent a permanent use of this as welfare?

[Blood of Tyrants]

More and more riding in the wagon and fewer and fewer pulling it.

[The Working Man]

I hate to say it, but around here getting on disability is considered to be a good thing just like winning the lottery. Quite sad really...

[cripplecreek]

Too much government drives people and business to cheat.

Anyone who has spent any real time in a factory knows that cheating at inventory time is pretty much standard procedure for all manufacturers.

[traditional1]

Nothing can be done, with complicity by Doctors who Certify people as being dis-abled. No different than the Wisconsin Teachers’ Union members who protested and occupied the Capitol Building, while getting paid for “sick time” with notes signed by “Epstein’s Mother”.

[TwelveOfTwenty]

Would could be done to winnow the disability roles and prevent a permanent use of this as welfare?

Probably nothing. The "disabled" vote too, and as long as the politicians who pander to them pander to enough other groups to get themselves re-elected, nothing will change.

The only thing that could change this is when the money runs out, and the politicians are no longer able to pay for all of the goodies they promised. As long as China is buying our debt, that won't happen either.

If there's anything I'll remember about the Obama years, it will be feeling stupid for working and paying my bills.

[KoRn]

"I hate to say it, but around here getting on disability is considered to be a good thing just like winning the lottery. Quite sad really..."

Same thing here in my area. After all of the factories closed during the 90s, getting on disability is the new 'American Dream'. I know a lady that practices in a doctor's office, she told me that day after day people come in practically demanding it.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Headline says: 2.2 Million Go On Disability Since Mid-2010; Fraud Explains Falling Unemployment Rate

first paragraph says: Since mid-2010, precisely at the time millions of US citizens used up all of their 99 week of unemployment insurance, disability claims have risen by 2.2 million.

Fraud is right. There's a big difference between making disability claims and going on disability.

I did not read the rest of the article.. unless the Obama radicals (campus spoiled brats) instructed government employees to approve every application the person who typed in the headline is the fraud.

[Dick Vomer]

low back pain, fake seizures, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, drug addicts (heroin), anxiety disorders, all get you on the Social Security disability bandwagon...

what’s funny, where I work is that if Obama had a couple of bowel movements, those people would look like them.

[upchuck]

Disability is the new welfare. Once these folks get on, they are on for life. There are very few cases of disability being taken away from someone once they are on it.

Allowing this to happen is a HUGH mistake. Talk about your “permanent underclass.” That’s exactly what is being created.

A solution to this problem is to raise the standards one must meet to be considered disabled. As a triage interviewer at a local food bank, I’ve spoken with folks who got on permanent disability just because they have a sore neck.

IMHO, the “disability lawyers” are largely to blame.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'm amazed at the number of law firms which specialize in this fraud.
Have they no shame ?

[Logical me]

Easy to get on disability. Just walk in with a bandage on the third finger and you got it. America is F’ed.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

That's how it looked through 2009.. I don't think that SSDI has provided more recent data in this form.
So the author is saying that it's all dark blue.. no red, no grey, no white, no light blue no black. All applications get Initial awards? I do not believe it. Or all get approval after appeals and reconsideration? I do not believe that either.

Outcomes of Applications for Disability Benefits

This thread is the umpteenth time for the story.. yes let's high-light it but without such misleading intros.

I recall the Bush recovery years 2001 - 2003 when conservatives -- including all the talk show hosts I admire -- screamed "Bush bashing!" because their claims of the numbers of new jobs being created were ignored by the MSM. Fact was the talk show hosts were using the wrong stats.

.. unless the Obama spoiled brats changed the rules most (all) approvals are subject to reviews to verify disability as the years pass.

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, why not, we’ve got a disabled president, vice president, and atty general. Thanks Kaslin.

[TribalPrincess2U]

unless the Obama spoiled brats changed the rules

Like they wouldn't? 0 don't need no stinkin' approval for rule changes.

[norge]

sorry to disagree, but as a working man sho has contributed thousands over the years i disability ibsurance...I’m noy going yo be called out for the meager 622bucks I goy after my stroke last June. I’d work, but I can”teven drive my lawnmower.

[Son House]

And didn’t we learn recently that Puerto Rico had the highest claims approved in the Nation?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Yes - Puerto Rico has some administrative law judges who approve at the highest rates in the US. I think the real story here is that the Obama Administration is finding new ways to supply welfare benefits to its voter base. Between precipitous rise in disability, and things like the 49 state AG settlement with the 5 major mortgage servicers (brokered by the DOJ), the administration is finding a way to get money to its base without having to appropriate general revenues (which it can’t get past the house at this time). I wouldn’t be surprised if they look at the DOJ anti-trust action against Apple in the same way. New sources of revenue to re-distribute, without OBTW having to involve the Congress.

[GailA]

Some people are truly disabled, and need that protection, but a whole host of them need tossing...if you are a drugie you do not need on Disability or if you are depressed, to many drugs to treat that out there same goes for those who are bi-polar.

Now if you need a heart transplant you need to be on it, as you cannot work. Same goes for people with ALS or advanced MS. Get the lawyer on the FRONT END, not after you have applied and been turned down. Have all your medical records at hand.

BUT NO ILLEGALS.

[GailA]

And good luck reporting a Medicare/Tricare Life fraud doctor who has political pull with the state and fed demRATS. Even your GOP senator won’t have his people return your phone calls. And the Medicare fraud web site like the FDA bad drug website is a NIGHTMARE to use.

[DuncanWaring]

The only thing that could change this is when the money runs out, and the politicians are no longer able to pay for all of the goodies they promised. As long as China is buying our debt, that won't happen either.

For all intents and purposes, China quit buying our debt a couple of years ago.

Much of the modern deficit is financed by electronic money printing.

Whenever an economist or politician says "Quantitative Easing", what they really mean is "money printing".

[central_va]

It all goes back to “Free Trade” and open borders. Internationalism blows.

[STD]

Actual disability takes all the fun out of life. I would trade a monthly check for one compete night of sleep. At this moment, I struggle at what you take for granted. Running, playing golf, working in a vegetable garden and making love. Don’t take anything for granted guys. It’s priceless

[zaxtres]

Really? Just to let you know Anxiety Disorder is a broad classification for a medical problem.

Let me give you a case study:

A young man enters the Navy, has a training accident while in the line of duty. He was going Aircrew in Pensacola, FLorida when he was observing the effects of hypoxia in a simulated P3 flight chamber when he got Decompression Sickness Type 2. Later, he gets medically discharged from the military and on his DD-214 it is illegally placed he was discharged because of Anxiety Disorder. When he gets discharged he has an RE-4 discharge code and is classified a Peace Time Veteran. However had he not had the accident would have been part of Gulf War I.

In 1989, the Veteran’s Administrations classifies him as 30% service connected disabled under the classification of Anxiety Disorder. Now for the next 15 years this man is in the VA System. From 1989 to 2001 he has a total of 27 official jobs he has attempted, does not include jobs off the books. He has been in and out of the VA Hospitals and system since 1989 and he continues to see them. In and out of the hospital after numerous suicide attempts and rampant drug use. He goes to school earns an associate degree which he did not even want but was told the only one he could do. (Sidenote: those VA officials were later investigated by the FBI for kickbacks and put in jail. Lookup Dayton, Ohio about 1991 and Voc Rehab Scandal in the Dayton Daily News.) He was also told by his employers that an associate degree is useless and he need a bachelor’s.

In 2001 as a result from taking various anti-psychotic medications, prescribed to him as a result from the accident, he becomes permanently diabetic with Diabetes Type 2 and now is on Insulin for the rest of his life. That same year, the VA reclassifies his service connected disablity of “Anxiety Disorder” at 100% from 30% and in 2006 it becomes permanent.

Now this individual has been in and out of the hospital and had been diagnosed with everything from dysthymia to manic depression to bipolar disorder to schizophrenia to schizoaffective disorder to PTSD among others. He has had a total of 15 different diagnosis all classified under “Anxiety Disorder”. Each time he saw a different doctor, they pretty much had a new diagnosis.

Remember this all resulted from a training accident in which he had damage to the brain and temporary partial paralysis. The accident killed all his life dreams. Now he cannot go scuba diving or even fly commercially in a plane due to the atmospheric pressures involved. He really cannot do anything fun or otherwise that would cause decompression. The chance to get Decompression Sickness again is much higher in him than one who has not had it. He could stand a chance to get a much higher degree of brain injury if he were to fly or scuba dive.

He is one of the very few in the country to get a 100% service connected disabilty classification. When he got that classification, there were only little over 170K veterans with that classification.

He also applied for Social Security Disability and receives it. He did not get SSI. He was denied for SSD the first time he applied, then with the help of a lawyer was approved.

Because of his VA disability income he does not get SSI nor does he get Food Stamps. And he struggles day to day life.

Quite frankly that person would rather be working and be a productive member of society than getting paid from the government. He has gone to school through Voc Rehab but has had problems in that regard. He still plugs away. He tried to get a part-time job but things did not work out on the employers side of not paying him what they agreed to.

This individual has stated that National Healthcare would be a big mistake, hates VA healthcare as it is nothing more tha socialized medicine for our vets. He would prefer to get private medical care but because of SSD he cannot get that.

He would vote highly conservative and has been one since Regan (he didn’t turn 18 until 1987). He depises 0bummer and everything about him. He hates socialism, communism, facism and unions.

So I have to ask you:

Would he look like one of 0bama’s bowel movements?

[TwelveOfTwenty]

For all intents and purposes, China quit buying our debt a couple of years ago.

I didn't realize that. Good. Maybe the spending will stop sooner rather than later.

[DuncanWaring]

The spending will never stop; it's how they buy votes.

Rudyard Kipling figured it out a century ago:

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

[familyop]

Those are the laid off government employees getting disability. They know how to game the system to continue sucking on their host. Half of their host is the private sector so far, but soon, it will be nearly all debt. Have fun. Enjoy the slide.

[Terry Mross]

It may have been easy and a lot of frauds got on it a few years ago. But it ain’t easy getting on it today. The frauds are easily exposed. I know people who are truly disabled, nothing fake about it, and they’re having trouble getting approved. SS is rejecting almost all of the initial applications.

And most of the lawyers are real frauds. They simply file the appeals hoping for a win every now and then so they can collect their 25%. In fact, a lawyer won’t take a case unless it’s been denied at least once.

[hinckley buzzard]

Exactly. Disability is the golden parachute of the 99'er. The back door out of unemployed status. We watched this with scorn, in Europe already back in the 80's, but never thought Americans would stoop to this.

[hinckley buzzard]

According to IBD, in the last month 90,000 SSDI applications were approved. You do the math.

[hinckley buzzard]

To be accurate, drug addiction won't get you a disability but other things you may have, besides the drug addiction, may.

[hinckley buzzard]

I doubt anyone is going to argue with your stroke as disabling. Best wishes for your recovery.

[hinckley buzzard]

The VA Compensation and Pension system is entirely different from the Social Security Disability system. If this person you describe has in fact been awarded 100% service connected disability he is receiving anywhere from $4000 to $7000 dollars a month, tax free, plus potential additional payments for dependents, free medical care, and for aid & attendance if warranted.

You left out those little details. If he is receiving SSDI as well, all this for an anxiety disorder, then he is riding high. He should thank God every night he was born in America.

[hinckley buzzard]

The good news is that China hasn't been buying our debt much the last few years. The bad news is that the Fed has been buying our debt with printing press money. Yes, we are loaning our money to ourselves. What could go wrong with that?

[Terry Mross]

Lawyers get paid 25% of the back pay. They won’t take a case on the FRONT END.

[nascarnation]

A brilliant strategy by Baraq and Axlegrease.
The Chicago mob is a pretty savvy bunch.
It’s not like the MSM is going to point out how they got to 7.9% unemployment by election day.

They’re spending $1.40 for every $1 in tax receipts.
Like a family riding a wave of false prosperity on credit cards and helocs.

[nascarnation]

For all intents and purposes, China quit buying our debt a couple of years ago.

Yes why trouble ourselves with the effort of selling bonds when we can have Bernanke handle it "in house".

[DuncanWaring]

He’s very accommodating on interest rates, too.

[cherry]

do you blame them?...especially if they're older and have no govt pension...their 55 and have no prospects...

disability is set up that if you get "disabled" early, it pays you higher than what you would receive otherwise.....

its a no brainer...and its perfectly legal....NOT that I like it....I work like a dog and I have inlaws who don't work at all...both on SSD....able to enjoy their late 40's and 50's and now 60's...casino...travel...able to buy lots of things like sports cars and extra properties because they're income is secure....

[cherry]

don’t get me going on the food banks...my lazy arse relatioves have a “friend” who brings them all the extra food bank stuff...fresh veggies, cheese, etc...like they really need it....

[cherry]

its a sad story but to the point of money....

I know a lot of freepers make a ton of money......

but compared to most jobs, getting a 100% disability from the govt is pretty good monthly pay.....life isn't fair, and it treats non govt people much worse....at least this young man had the support of the govt...

[Dick Vomer]

I've seen them on methadone with the disability qualifier on their discharge and face sheet... even asked them if they needed a work note... ?=

"nope, I'm disabled... I got the heroin addiction.".

[buffyt]

I just told my husband tonight that EVERYONE in USA should just stop working. Stock up on food and water, etc., and just stop working. Until Obama and the libs wake up to the fact that 1/2 of Americans work and are the Producer. The other 1/2 are the Looters and they don’t work. Many are fifth generation deadbeats.

[GailA]

I know what the pay back is, but if you have the right lawyer he/she will take it, as it always takes 2-3 years to push through anyway. The key is you can’t work at all in that time frame. OR after unless you are doing like the illegals and do it under the table.

Our SS class kept that family fed and the house payments augmented, as his wife could work, just couldn’t make ends meet with 3 kids to raise. Unlike some as soon as he got his transplant and was pronounced able to return to work he did, but in a lesser job, but it still brought in income. So they are now back on their feet if only wobbly. He could have stayed on disability, but was to proud to do so.

I was in his shoes, only I had to start from square 1, multiple auto immunes, none fixable, can’t take the drugs, degenerated back from Hades and recently widowed. No education, no one wanted some one as sick as I was not even Wal-mart. While late hubby was a live it didn’t matter, we just lived within his earnings. Sudden massive heart attack out of the blue, and life changed. I could no longer take care of myself fiscally, what little ins we had got eaten by the burial and the 4 years it took to get the disability through. It is not great, but it kept me from the wolves door until GOD sent a very good Christian man into my path..now we both take care of each other as he too has some health issues but is retired over 65 Military so has both Medicare/Tricare Life which 0 has screwed up.

[cva66snipe]

I think I can shed some light on the person you speak of. The Anxiety Disorder is there but it is a secondary disorder triggered by the Neurological Primary one that happened in the testing you described. One of the most common but overlooked causes of Anxiety Disorder permanent or temporary are caused by damage either/and/or to the Vestibular System {Inner Ear} and /or the sensory processing system.

I would almost bet the condition showed up during the testing and was there all along. Persons with Vestibular disorders or damage are walking barometers.

I was diagnosed 17 years ago by the doctors doing my disability exam as having General Anxiety Disorder. It took me nearly four more years to find out I have it because my sensory processing system including Inner Ears are shot.

Go into a search engine and type in Vestibular +Anxiety. I only know of one type of medication effective in treating symptoms for this and it is not a cure and that is Xanax. Low dosage at a half a MG at 3-4 times a day. Antidepressants can make this much, much, worse and can possibly lead to a severe adverse reaction that brings on hallucinations.

The disorder as such has no name that I know of. That is because I think it is several disorders dealing with sensory processing combined. I have seizures in my upper Torso with this as well. Things like phones ringing, back up alarms, store public address symptoms etc set it off as does certain visual situations.

I have it, I'm on disability now since 1994 and I likely vote more conservative {Constitution Party} than most Freepers.

It does sound like the pressuration issue was the straw that broke the camels back as far as your Inner Ear goes and that can cause serious Cognitive issues. Read this as a starter. Cognitive Aspects Of Vestibular Disorders

[cva66snipe]

BTW unless a shrink has treated this type of disorder I would tell your friend go instead to an Internal Medicine Doctor who can understand the connection with the Inner Ear I speak of. Have the guy explain HOW the onset came and that Inner Ear Damage is suspect.

V.A. Clinics can be a disaster treating this as well. I went to the V.A. Clinic last year just for a simply required referral to the Audiology Department for hearing aids.

The doctor looked at my chart and saw I was taking Xanax and freaked. Why? I've taken it 17 years LOL. I know exactly what I'm doing taking them and why, proper dosage, risk, etc and I accept the low risk in my case. He knew me all of two minutes though with ZERO past medical history and was going to try and change my meds around that I had been taking 17 years that worked. I had already been down the SSRI path with very bad results.

[GOPJ]

The people who are scamming the system will destroy it for people like you - people who really need it.

[GOPJ]

On the other hand, I know of a family of 12 siblings - all but one getting Social Security Disability - all encouraging the one holdout to use ‘mental’ because it’s impossible to disprove. Here’s the real problem, when the scammers bankrupt the system, the folks who REALLY are disabled will be dumped with the scammers. People who really are disabled should be on the front lines fighting the scammers.

[Happy Rain]

Nobody wants to be a anybody’s fool.

If only given the choice between being a mooch or being forced to support a mooch, becoming a mooch is better for one’s “pride”...with the proper rationalization that is.

Self reliance has been replaced by Leftist K-12 indoctrinations--which gives even the most shiftless and dedicated to be worthless bum the “self esteem” of a hero.