Social Security Disability is “not dead yet”

Politicians intent on destroying Social Security Disability (the most successful government program ever!) note that  the high unemployment rate is the primary reason that more Americans are seeking SSDI benefits.

FACT: Applications are higher than they were years ago because the population has increased, Baby-Boomers are getting older and having more disabilities, more women are working so they are more likely to be insured and to be injured, and medical advancements are saving the lives of people with serious medical conditions that used to be fatal.

 If you pay into the Social Security system, you earn the right to its benefits. The denial, or extreme delay, of benefits to those who qualify for SSDI is an injustice, which claimants’ representatives can help address.

Protecting Social Security Disability Insurance is about keeping a promise to help all Americans, regardless of their means, age or disability. Social Security Disability Insurance remains a vital lifeline for citizens who once held full-time jobs but have become too ill or injured to work. It is not a program being gamed by the lazy or unemployable.  

Social Security Disability Attorney Patrick B. Cavanaugh counsels people every day on the regulations and requirements to apply for and be approved Social Security Disability Benefits.

 While everyone agrees that the federal government can improve all entitlement programs and make the best use of taxpayer dollars, turning our back on Americans with disabilities is not the place to start. Inadequate funding of Social Security Disability Insurance only pushes the problem to the states and local communities.  Small tweaks to the current system will allow it to be funded through then next century.

 If you have a question about the Social Security Disability process please call Attorney Patrick B. Cavanaugh at 1-866-915-4497 for a free consultation. 

Social Security Statements are to be Made Available Only Online

The administration is moving away from paper for “efficiency” and less waste of resources. This is a wise use of resources for an agency charged with maintaining efficient use of taxpayer dollars.  For instance the administration pledged to do away paper checks by January 1, 2013 in favor of direct deposit and EBT cards. Many of these technological advances are popular and helpful.

However many people most in need of Social Security Disability services may not have access to a private computer and may be leery of uploading their information to the administration on a public computer or at a friend or relatives computer.  Separate from the privacy concerns many of these same individuals will be unfamiliar and unclear if they have completed all of the steps in the applications process when doing it on line, without assistance.

Nebraska and Iowa Social Security Disability Attorney Patrick B. Cavanaugh is on top of the changing landscape associated with the Social Security Disability application process and can assist in every step of the way.  Please call Attorney, Patrick B. Cavanaugh, for a free evaluation of your claim.

For more see: Reuters:  Social Security Online

The Social Security Disability Program is NOT all Doom and Gloom

“Cutting waste, fraud and abuse” is almost as old a political cliché as George Washington’s  “I cannot tell a lie”. But while old George may have meant it (if he did ever say it), cutting waste, fraud and abuse is becoming a dangerous euphemism for those charged with maintaining the social contract we the people have with our elected leaders.

Both sides of the political aisle accept that the federal government needs to eliminate truly redundant programs.

However listen closely, the term “waste, fraud, and abuse” is code for something much more disturbing. The phrase provides budget hawks cover to conduct budgetary witch hunts and gut vital government programs that so many Americans depend on to survive. One such program, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, may be next.

There is much hyperbolic talk about this subject let’s look at the picture clearly:

MYTH: An increasing number of people taking advantage of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program are accelerating Social Security’s insolvency.

FACT: According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Disability Insurance Trust Fund’s share of the overall annual cost of the Social Security program peaked in 2003, not 2011. In fact, SSA projects that the number of workers per disability beneficiary is expected to be relatively stable in the future. This means that restoring sustainability for SSDI will not require continually greater benefit cuts or revenue increases. A one-time change to offset the drop in birth rate will sustain the program into the foreseeable future.

MYTH: The high unemployment rate is the primary reason that more Americans are seeking SSDI benefits. The program is becoming an extension of unemployment insurance.

FACT: It is a misrepresentation to claim that surges in unemployed applicants are looking to get on the public dole through SSDI. Applications are higher than they were years ago because the population has increased, Baby Boomers are getting older and having more disabilities, more women are working so they are more likely to be insured and to be injured, and medical advancements are saving the lives of people with serious medical conditions that used to be fatal.

MYTH: The current SSDI program is set up so that it keeps able-bodied people out of the workforce when they are employable.

FACT: Disability benefits are so low compared even to minimum-wage work that it cannot reasonably be considered as an incentive not to work. And benefits do not start right away, even for those who successfully complete the difficult application process. Furthermore, the program has many incentives built in for those who want to return to work, including trial work periods, insurance continuation, and even retraining.

MYTH: It has never been easier to obtain Social Security disability benefits.

FACT: Getting disability approval is harder than ever. Undocumented pain, alcoholism and drug abuse have been disqualified as qualifying disabilities. Mental retardation and HIV standards are tougher. Diabetes and obesity are no longer distinct disabilities. Applicants must also present objective medical evidence of their disability before they begin receiving benefits

Read the full article at: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/229819-misinformation-fueling-attacks-on-disability-program

If you have a question about the Social Security Disability process,  please call Attorney Patrick B. Cavanaugh at 1-800-342-3352 for a free consultation. www.thecavanaughlawfirm.com