Because of this, today I’d like to spend some time describing some of the most common myths I’ve heard, and then offer you the truth as someone on the front lines of this issue sees it.
Myth: Fraud has caused disability numbers to swell. Talking heads everywhere have been blaming the growing number of people getting disability on scammers and frauds. These people, they say, are taking advantage of a safety net that was only put in place to help people in dire circumstances. In at least one instance, a well-known TV personality claimed that 8.8 million Americans were fraudulently getting disability.
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Fact: Though it certainly exists, there’s little evidence of widespread fraud. Want to talk numbers? Let’s talk numbers. 8.8 million is the total number of people on disability in the country. So everyone is defrauding Social Security? Not likely. In fact, according to SSA data, payments are 99 percent accurate. Even the GAO – the agency whose job it is to ferret out waste – found that only .6 percent of benefits are “improper.” In short, fraud exists, but just barely.
Myth: We never expected to have this many people on disability. So-called experts have bombarded the airwaves with tales of how the increase in disability recipients over the last decade or so has “shocked” those in charge and been “astonishing.”
Fact: Experts predicted this rise long ago. Anyone saying they’re “shocked” is being disingenuous. Why? Because we knew this was going to happen years ago due to changing demographics. As Baby Boomers have begun to age, more of them have started to suffer from problems covered by SSD. Additionally, more women are qualifying today than ever before due to their increased role in the job force.
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Myth: Child poverty is to blame. This myth says that disability numbers have gone up so much because of all the poor people in our country who keep having kids. If those children have disabilities, they get SSI, and this has caused a jump in recipients.
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Fact: Disabled children getting SSI only accounts for a small part of the increase. Yes, there’s been an increase here, but the bump up has been a small one. Over the last decade, the number of children getting disability has gone from about 850,000 to 1.2 million. Most people attribute this to the economic meltdown and believe that it’s temporary.
What it boils down to is simple: don’t always believe the talking heads. As a Social Security Disability attorney, I always tell my clients to seek the facts out for themselves if they want to be sure about something. One way to do that is by following our weekly blog. Another is to read our free Social Security Disability eBook. The point is to make it a fair fight by arming yourself with
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