Posted on 09/17/2012 10:03:23 PM PDT by Olog-hai
The Social Security Administration has released new data revealing that 8,786,049 American workers are collecting federal disability insurance payments in September. That sets yet another record for the number of Americans on disability.
The 8,786,049 workers taking federal disability in September is a net increase of 18,108 from the 8,767,941 workers who took federal disability in August.
Over the past 45 years, the number of American workers taking federal disability payments has increased four-fold relative to the number actually working.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
After seeing what folks in the Soviet Gulag put up with, their problems will seem insignificant.
I read the book in High school, and just recently discovered the movie on Youtube.
I just don’t understand this. It must have something to do with what state you live in. The way it was explained to me by the lady at the Social Security office the decision is actually made by state officials. They have a board that looks at the recommendation from Social Security and at your medical records which were all obtained from your doctors by Social Security and forwarded to the state you live in. This board decides, along with some input from your case worker at Social Security on whether you’re eligible or not.
She stated that the older you are the easier it will be to be approved. They have several age brackets and younger people are turned down about 90% of the time. People 60 and above are approved most of the time quite quickly if they have documentation of their disability.
My wife has crippling arthritis and could only get around using a walker for the last couple of years and she is 60. Holding down a job was impossible. Exactly 2 months to the day from the time she applied for disability she received her “Letter of Award” and her first check was in July.She didn’t see an attorney she just made an appointment with social security and went in with a list of all the doctors she had seen in the last 10 years. The whole application process took less than an hour.
She paid into social security for over 40 years and I don’t feel like she is doing anything unethical or wrong by receiving it now. I am 65 and in poor health myself so she will probably outlive me and will need an income just to survive.
I run into this woman all of the time and her husband has been on disability for years. She said she lost her job so her husband was looking for one in CONSTRUCTION! I said I thought he had a physical condition where he couldn’t do that type of job? She said, we need the money and he can still work if he has to.
WTF?
assuming an average ‘disability’ check of $1,000/mon ... which i’m sure is low...
8,786,049 * $1,000 * 12 == $ 105,432,588,000 / yr
that’s right... over $100 BILLION per year
it’s all a scam
Question and comments. My wife didn’t work enough re contributions to Social Security (but worked almost 20 years in child care). Back story. Her mother died when she was 16 and she had to take care of 4 younger sisters and one brother while her father was away on military missions during the 50’s, thus she got into the education and workforce later in life.
Now she has two bad hip joints and lower back problems, but doesn’t qualify for SS Disability. Can she get any help?
I’ve had a heart attack and cardiac arrest, and have only been working 75% time since 2002 due to budget cutbacks on the contract I’ve been under for many years. Part time jobs are hard when you are 67, have to travel 50 miles a day to a research job site, and have enough pains for the whole neighborhood to share.
I do get Social Security and a few dollars from investments (recently had to cash in some 401K for car repairs and preplanned medical treatment/crowns/bone graft & two implants). Still walking but not like I used to.
Haven’t applied for any disability and can’t afford Medicaid or whatever. Pay for my own insurance along with my company’s contributions (which are very fair). What do I qualify for down the line?
Getting old is a bitch so there is a definite need for reforms in our medical system, medicare, etc. Cutting down medical malpractice payments and caps on regular claims will help, but Obamacare is deliberately increasing our costs for treatments that our doctors could do in-house, instead of at the more expensive hospitals.
PS: another problem coming up Jan. 1 if Obama wins - Increased taxes on Dividends, from about 15% to 40%. If you live off of mutual funds/stocks/non-exempt bonds or have them as supplemental income, you are going to get screwed.
This is how Obama helps the Middle Class - he helps himself and his welfare voters to our badly needed money.
By all means lets reform Social Security so that those who have earned it or who have a condition that prevents them from working, can get it first. We are our brothers keepers but if we aren’t taken care of, we can’t help our brothers and sisters.
When I first became disabled, I collected proceeds from a disability policy I had through my last employer. The premium was deducted from my paycheck. After several months, I was “encouraged” to apply for Social Security Disability. The disability insurance carrier had a contract with an outside company that handled the preparation and filing of the application.
I had been told by friends and relatives that my application would most likely be rejected or if it was approved I would have to wait for months to get my first check. But I was approved right off and received my first check quickly thereafter.
I used to have misgivings about taking charity. I was taught to work for whatever I need. But I don't feel that way now. There are so many people who feel “entitled” to so much even though they never worked a day in their life. I worked and paid into Social Security for 35 years. I think I'm more than “entitled.” If anyone doesn't agree, tough tookies.
Dependent broken people vote for democrats... Dems are out there creating more democrats.
There are those out there that get disability and need it. The fakers piss me off. There isn’t a day goes by when I don’t wish I could go back to work. But after 7 back surgeries, brain surgery, knee surgery, and 3 surgeries to implant pain pumps, I can’t even walk some days, let alone be a dependable employee to someone. I wish the government screened people better in all states so people on disability didn’t get lumped in with the lazy handout people. If I had family or any other way of not being homeless, I wouldn’t take a dime from the government. There are a lot of people in that same boat.
My wife, at her occupation, deals with a man that she has seen snow shovel his sidewalks several times and he is “disabled”. And the best part is the man has the classic entitlement mentality.
Yup. My head exploded when my friends room mate got SSI for “stress” type crap and being over weight (put down the fork, back away from the table. Go take a walk) and not wanting to do a damn thing about either. 5 months from application to acceptance. Just for the record. You can’t get SSI/SSD for your head exploding. I asked.
My wife is much like you. When your in a room with her it is OBVIOUS she has physical issues that prevent her from working.
The lawyer will only say we have a good chance by the time we get to a court room.
yep, very serious
I think and pray that he'll reform the system so that those who've decided they don't need to work - and their benie's have run out, so they've jumped over to SS/disability - will be kicked out of the system...forcing them to take one of the 12M newly created jobs.
Something has to be done. Dims just keep expanding the program, to those who are able but too lazy to find work and those here illegally. Pubbies haven't done much better, but are the only ones we have who may be likely to fix this broken system.
This does not include those getting disability payments through the VA, does it?
I was told at the office when I applied that it was highly unlikely he would be approved due to his age. The guy told me to continue to apply until it was approved because I had my son with me and he could see that my son was disabled. I was shocked when the award letter came 4 weeks later, but his medical history is extensive.
Eddie Rendell started this back in 1999 to make his administration look good.
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