Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog
All of the talk from those opposed to providing sufficient funding to the Social Security Disaiblity Insurance (SSDI) program seem to think it will save tax payers money. According to a recent feature from the Center for American Progress, it will leave millions of Americans unable to take care of themselves and their families with no realistic hope of ever returning to work.
One of the main problems was related to a recent budget, which passed along party lines, designed to stop people from collecting unemployment benefits and Social Security Disability Benefits at the same time. In other words, the goal to prevent “double dipping” would punish disability insurance recipients who lose their jobs for reasons other than through their own fault, who apply for unemployment benefits.
Without being able to obtain unemployment insurance as a temporary stop gap measure, these disabled Americans would fall deeper into poverty and fall behind on even more bills. This would result in a much worse situation for these families, as well as costing tax payers more, which undermines the alleged reasons for preventing double dipping in the first place.
It is also interesting that those who are in favor of preventing so-called double dipping of unemployment and Social Security Disability Benefits are also in support of programs requiring disabled Americans to return to work.
As our Boston Social Security Disability Insurance attorneys can explain, much of this support for cutting disability benefits comes from a mistaken belief in the premise that most people who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are not really disabled, but instead are simply lazy people who would rather stay at home and collect a check than go to work. This could not be further from the truth.
The vast majority of people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance are seriously disabled and in desperate need of disability benefits to survive. They would much rather be healthy enough to work, but cannot because of their disability. Additionally, the system is already set up in such a way as to make it less profitable to collect disability benefits than to work, as there are benefits guidelines set below average wages.
Claimants’ dependence on disability benefits is made even stronger by the length of time it takes to obtain benefits and the great hurdles which a claimant must overcome to prove his or her disability in the first place.
Essentially, the system is set up in a way as to make it extremely difficult for an unrepresented person to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. It is not as easy to obtain disability benefits, as opponents of the program want their constituents to believe. These representatives are essentially trying to make headlines at the expense of over 9 million disabled Americans.
Another interesting point raised in this article is those who are in need of both unemployment benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits have paid into both systems through withholding in their paychecks, and it would be unjust to deny them those benefits.
If you are seeking Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in Boston, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Cutting Social Security Disability Insurance Won’t Help Anyone Go Back to Work ,April 14, 2015, Centers for American Progress
More Blog Entries:
Social Security Administration sued for recouping same-sex benefits, March 10, 2015, Boston Disability Lawyers Blog