It's Just WRONG
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86757)
United States
February 17, 2016 9:21pm CST
If you live in the U.S., I have a question. Have you ever applied for Social Security Disability?
If you haven't, consider yourself lucky....not just because you don't need the disability, but also because you've never had to deal with government bureaucracy at its absolute worst.
It's practically impossible to file for benefits without a lawyer. Two out of every three applications are denied initially. That almost forces you to get a lawyer. The cases can drag on for years...all to receive benefits that you paid for.
That's right. We aren't talking about welfare recipients here. We're talking about people who've worked for decades, paying into the system with every paycheck, and have since they made their first dime. You're not asking for anything except your own money because your health has made it difficult or impossible to find and hold what the government calls "substantial gainful employment" (which is defined as an annual salary above the federal poverty level [currently $11,880 for one person or $16,020 for a couple]).
The appeal process is LONG, and, in my personal opinion (this IS an opinion discussion, please keep that in mind), it's designed that way to keep the recipients of SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) down. Think about it: it takes nearly two years to get your appeal to a judge, and from there the appeal of his/her denial is another 18-24 months. That means you must spend at least four to five YEARS living below the poverty line in order to even qualify, regardless of what your doctor says.
About 54% of the claims are eventually approved, meaning 362 out of every 1,000 people who apply for Social Security Disability get put through years of unnecessary delays. Worse, nearly every one of those individuals trudge through the process with a lawyer, meaning that 25% to 33% of their disability award goes to buying the attorney a new set of golf clubs or vacation condo instead of paying off those bills that have accumulated.
It's just WRONG for a government to treat people that way when they need the Social Security disability they have paid for.
9 people like this
10 responses
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
18 Feb 16
My daughter was on SSI from the time she was four years old. In the beginning it was easy and only took 90 days then when she was older social security suddenly decided she was cured and wanted to cut her off. Went through two rounds of appeals with the last one being before a judge. We won without a lawyer.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
18 Feb 16
Don't you just love how those government paper-pushers think they know more about medicine than the doctors who have their stethoscopes on the patient every day? 
2 people like this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
18 Feb 16
@FourWalls Especially when it is for a condition science can't even find a reason for.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
18 Feb 16
It's almost as bad as the VA. Now, the VA and their slower-than-a-turtle-stuck-in-frozen-molassas pace, I'm extremely familiar with. Their attitude is more or less the same, especially with older veterans: they seem to project the mentality of "we can delay ruling on this case or keep the appeals going longer than you can stay alive."
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
18 Feb 16
Some of the people who apply are applying actually for SSI, because they have never worked or not that much. Had I chosen to apply that would have been the case, I believe. I do not disagree with you, it is difficult, and that is why an entire culture of disability lawyers has sprung up. My great niece was needing SSI. Her mom applied once when she was an infant and would not fight it when she was turned down.She applied,when she was over eighteen and was turned down. I told her who my friends said to hire as a lawyer and within two weeks with no further work, just a call from his office, she had it. On the other hand, my first husband applied for SSDI and received it immediately because he was dying of ALS. I think it still took six months for him to get a check. Meanwhile he had short term disability insurance that covered. That was twenty years ago. When working with special needs children we at school had to fill out paperwork from time to time for this.
2 people like this
@T_gray (7772)
• Salina, Kansas
18 Feb 16
This whole post sounds very familiar. I just went through it a couple years ago. It took about 2 or 3 years for me to finally get approved which from what I hear is rather fast. But I went through the whole process that you talked about and it really does suck. I do feel bad for anyone that has to go through it but I encourage everyone that does to not give up...because most are denied the first time.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43611)
• Denver, Colorado
18 Feb 16
Honestly, I'd almost take what I paid into it back and take my chances with my health, because I don't think I'll see that money otherwise.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189901)
• Boise, Idaho
18 Feb 16
Yes, this can be seen as wrong But, it is also wrong for all of the scammers who try to work the system to get on this disability. If the government didn't have to watch out for and sort through these types then the process could go alot smoother. So thank a lot of those types for making it tough on the honest people who need this payment. And, something you didn't offer up too is that these people, when they are excepted do get payment retroactively for the time they have waited. There is good even in government.
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
18 Feb 16
Yes, there are cheats. When someone has statements from five different doctors as to their medical conditions, however (complete with x-rays or test results), that's hardly a cheater.
There are two very good ways to reduce cheating in the system that will not punish the legitimate recipients. One, have physical exams annually (unless it's something obvious...a person isn't going to grow a lost limb back, for instance, or regain their sight). Two, if the cheats want to live off the government let them: in prison if they're found defrauding the system.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
18 Feb 16
We've not used this thus far, but may be considering it in the future for my husband. I had a friend that got it without any lawyer and I don't think it took forever for everything to go through for her, but I'd have to check with her daughter to remember for sure.
My husband has been told for several years that he should apply and recently was told by a gal that works for social services and helps to pay our part of new prosthetics he needs every few years for a new leg. He's been working since his leg below the knee was amputated eight years ago, but recently had another bout with a blood clot in the good leg, which was saved this time. Even then, he's not able to work as many hours yet and maybe never will.
Our main blockade will be that we have a business in his name which we'd have to switch over to me or get incorporated. Both those can cause more problems. One because I'm five and a half years older than he is. Then what do we do when I want to get my benefits? And if we incorporate, more money is involved which we don't have. Not a fun idea.
1 person likes this
