If you’re nervous about how Social Security disability benefits are going to work in the future, you’re not the only one.
This past September, a subcommittee in the House of Representatives held the last in a series of hearings about the future of SSDI. They asked academic and business researchers, a director of public policy, and a witness from the Government Accountability Office Social Security questions.
So, what came out of these hearings? Well, no real changes have been made to how Social Security disability works but there were some alarming trends.
People Who Get Social Security Disability Benefits Lazy?
Two researchers basically argued that the rules needed to be changed because they believe that many people who are currently listed as disabled could work if they wanted to. They just aren’t because they’re getting money to do nothing.
Talk like that is offensive to the many people whose very lives depend on their disability benefits but it’s not surprising that some people on the fringe have this opinion. What’s more disturbing is that the witness from the government’s own accountability office said that they supported changing the criteria to be labeled disabled so that it’s more about how people function in the world rather than their medical diagnosis.
Why is that so bad? Because while medical diagnoses are based on facts and evidence, opinions on how you function are just that—opinions. They are highly subjective and even the GAO witness basically said that giving them more weight would make rulings less consistent. In plain English, that means that when two people have exactly the same condition, one might get full benefits while the other person receives nothing.
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A Voice of Reason on Social Security Disability Benefits
The lone voice of reason came from the government public policy office. Marty Ford spoke about improving the way SSDI works instead of trying to blow it up. Her completely reasonable suggestions included:
- Making sure the SSA has the resources they need (money and personnel) to do their job.
- Loosening eligibility requirements and maintaining or even expanding health care so that more people receiving disability benefits can find jobs.
- Don’t put time limits on benefits and eligibility
Her suggestions don’t answer all of the Social Security questions and fears people have, but they could solve a lot of problems. If you want to talk more about your specific situation and fears, contact me, a Texas Social Security Disability attorney, today for a free consultation.
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