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As unemployment benefits run our, many jobless file for disability SS
Topic Started: Feb 21 2012, 06:27 AM (2,079 Views)
Pat
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I'm reminded of the blind guy who had the snack counter at the court house. Or the guy on the scooter with no legs, selling ink pens. Proud guys who remained productive. I think it is time to rethink disability SS and prune the ranks of deadbeats.




http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/pain_brings_gain_taZkGOAUhXALmhEEyMpmqJ

Jobless disability claims soar to record $200B as of January

By JANET WHITMAN


Standing too many months on the unemployment line is driving Americans crazy — literally — and it’s costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

With their unemployment-insurance checks running out, some of the country’s long-term jobless are scrambling to fill the gap by filing claims for mental illness and other disabilities with Social Security — a surge that hobbles taxpayers and making the employment rate look healthier than it should as these people drop out of the job statistics.

“It could be because their health really is getting worse from the stress of being out of work,” says Matthew Rutledge, a research economist at Boston College. “Or it could just be desperation — people trying to make ends meet when other safety nets just aren’t there.”

As of January, the federal government was mailing out disability checks to more than 10.5 million individuals, including 2 million to spouses and children of disabled workers, at a cost of record $200 billion a year, recent research from JPMorgan Chase shows.

The sputtering economy has fueled those ranks. Around 5.3 percent of the population between the ages of 25 and 64 is currently collecting federal disability payments, a jump from 4.5 percent since the economy slid into a recession.

Mental-illness claims, in particular, are surging.

During the recent economic boom, only 33 percent of applicants were claiming mental illness, but that figure has jumped to 43 percent, says Rutledge, citing preliminary results from his latest research.

His research also shows a growing number of men, particularly older, former white-collar workers, instead of the typical blue-collar ones, are applying.

The big concern about the swelling ranks is that once people get on disability, they’re unlikely to give it up and go back to work.

“It’s not like other support programs, such as unemployment insurance, which you lose after a year or two,” says Michael Feroli, chief US economist with JPMorgan.

Social Security’s disability fund, which has been operating short of cash since 2005, is forecast to run out of reserves by 2018.

The jump in successful disability claims also is making the unemployment picture look extra rosy because those folks are falling off the jobless rolls.

“If they’re on disability they’re generally not counted,” says Feroli, who estimates that a quarter of those dropping out of the job market are getting disability. “It’s no trivial number.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/pain_brings_gain_taZkGOAUhXALmhEEyMpmqJ#ixzz1mxmy02NL
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Jim Miller
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Sure beats working, eh?
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colo_crawdad
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If these folks are eligible for disability, they should never have been included in unemployment statistics. If They are not eligible for disability, they will not be granted it. In fact, I understand that one's first application for disability is almost always denied.
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tomdrobin
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Even before the current recession, SS disability was becoming the new welfare. After the welfare reforms during the Clinton/Ginrich "contract with america" era when most of the individual welfare was discontinued and time limits set on families. Those so inclined looked for another easy way out.

My stepson's estranged wife finally got on it. She was/is a crazy pill popping hypocondriac, but very manipulative. It's hard to get it, most claims get turned down. But, if your willing to be persistant. Once your on it, I don't think there ever is a follow up plan to get people off of it. Last I knew she was drawing the check, getting medicare and cleaning an older couples house for cash.

My stepson has applied, not sure how successful he will be, as he is not as persistant as the crazy woman. To be fair he is almost as screwed up as Tim, at 48 yo. He had a hip replacement at 35, and it looks like he needs another one. That and his knee on the other side is screwed up. And, there is the results of alcoholism and drug abuse and chain smoking. That and he has worked doing roofing for quite a few years with many falls of the roof and off the ladder. He's got medicaid, and if they fix his hip and knee he could probably go back to work, but don't know how successful that will be.

Many I know have lived pretty miserable screwed up lives, and much of their physical issues are caused by self abuse. About the only jobs they can get are physically pretty demanding which makes it all the more difficult, probably why they are looking for a way to get on the SSDA.
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Pat
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Colo brought up an interesting point, or jarred my thinking. If somebody applies for disability SS, why are they not required to return to the government every nickel in unemployment benefits received? If you claim you are too screwed up to work, then you are ineligible for unemployment benefits. You have to be capable of working to qualify.
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Jim Miller
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Probably not with this government. They want to keep as many as possible dependent on government. Votes, don'tchaknow.
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Stoney
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colo_crawdad
Feb 21 2012, 06:41 AM
If these folks are eligible for disability, they should never have been included in unemployment statistics. If They are not eligible for disability, they will not be granted it. In fact, I understand that one's first application for disability is almost always denied.
I can say from personal experience in fighting disability applications that your assumptions are incorrect and that its more a matter of going through a few doctors than a few applications.
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Banandangees
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Define "disabled."

I'm not sure how you go from "unemployed" to "disabled."
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Jim Miller
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A lack of desire to work?
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Stoney
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Jim Miller
Feb 21 2012, 09:48 PM
A lack of desire to work?
Too often that's exactly the case.
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