Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) has become the new government welfare.
A record number of 11 million (10,962,532) Americans are now on SSDI, which is 147,335 more people than the total population of the country Greece.
Terence Jeffrey reports for CNSNews, May 7, 2013, that April was the 195th straight month that the number of American workers collecting federal disability payments had increased.
Newly released data from the Social Security Administration show a record 10,962,532 total disability beneficiaries in April, including a record 8,865,586 disabled workers (up from 8,853,614 in March), 1,936,236 children of disabled workers, and 160,710 spouses of disabled workers.
According to its latest census, Greece had only 10,815,197 residents.
As the overall number of American workers collecting disability has increased, the ratio of full-time workers to disability-collecting workers has decreased.
In December 1968, 1,295,428 American workers collected disability and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 65,630,000 worked full-time. Thus, there were about 51 full-time workers for each worker collecting disability. In April 2013, with a record 8,865,586 American workers collecting disability and 116,053,000 working full-time, there were only 13 Americans working full-time for each worker on disability.
Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform blog points out that the drastic increase in the number of Americans on SSDI has nothing to do with the aging of the population. As he puts it:
“Even the most pollyanna would agree that medical advancements since 1968 have been significant. These medical advancements would argue for less people being on disability and unable to work. Workplace safety measures have been increased exponentially since 1968, so that also argues for less disabled workers. The good old ADA law forced all workplaces to become disabled friendly. That argues for less people on disability. The country has transitioned from a manufacturing society to a service society. Workers don’t work on dangerous assembly lines anymore. Robots do the dangerous stuff. This should have dramatically reduced worker injuries and disabilities.
Everything I’ve pointed out is true. The tremendous increase in people on SSDI is nothing but a gigantic fraud, perpetuated by the Federal government and slimy lawyers. The government broadened the scope of disabilities to include stress, depression, and non-diagnosable things like aches and pains. I have stress, depression and pains too, but I get up at 5:15 every morning and go to work. The SSDI program is a joke. More than half the people on SSDI are lazy good for nothing leeches. They are sucking you and I dry while sitting around eating cheetos, watching Judge Judy on their government subsidized cable TV, and texting with other lazy fucks on their iPhones.
And don’t forget, you get the added benefit of Medicare coverage after only two years of SSDI stress [even if you're not yet Medicare age].”
My husband and I watch Judge Judy when we dine. I can’t tell you how many times a litigant in her court turns out to be living on Social Security Disability “benefits” although they appear to have NOTHING physically wrong with them. They walk down the aisle normally, without aid. And from their testimonies, they live a normal active life.
This is not to say there are no legitimate recipients of SSDI. But you and I both personally know people who are on SSDI who, in a just world, shouldn’t. My husband has a niece who had never worked at a paying job but has been on SSDI for her entire life. Her “disability” however had not prevented her from marrying, having two kids (the son is a petty criminal), and divorcing. In December 2008, The Oregonian uncovered potential SSDI fraud of $11 billion.
Once a person gets on SSDI, he/she rarely ever returns to the work force.
A recent Bloomberg article cites a federal government report: “Workers on SSDI rarely return to the labor force, resulting in a loss to society of the economic contribution those workers could have made.” Government data show that more than 99% of all SSDI beneficiaries remain in the program until retirement age!
You and I both know that this is unsustainable and cannot continue.
Congressional estimates say the trust fund that supports SSDI will run out of money in 4 years, by 2017, leaving the program unable to pay full benefits, unless Congress acts. By 2036, about two decades later, Social Security’s much larger retirement fund is projected to run dry, too, leaving it unable to pay full benefits as well.
See also my post of Aug. 22, 2011, “Social Security Disability Running on Empty.”
~Eowyn
