Senate Budget Proposal Suggests Cutting Social Security Disability and Preventing “Double Dipping” to Extend Jobless Benefits
At the end of December 2013, federal unemployment benefits stopped because the government ran out of money to pay long-term unemployment. Now, the Senate is debating a proposal that prevents applicants from “double-dipping” – receiving both unemployment and Social Security Disability benefits at the same time – as a way to cover the $6.4 million required to pay 3 more months of unemployment benefits.
Congress declined to continue the long-term unemployment benefits program, which meant that on December 28th, 1.3 million Americans lost those benefits. Because so many people need the program to stay afloat, the Senate is attempting to find a way to finance the program. They have turned to the already-overextended Social Security Disability program to help finance the unemployment program.
The proposal, initially proposed by Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, and endorsed by Democratic Senators Jack Reed (Rhode Island) and Harry Reid (Nevada), suggests that people who receive Social Security Disability cannot receive another form of income, from a part-time job or unemployment.
Social Security Disability law currently allows workers to apply for temporary disability benefits if they have experienced an extreme mental or physical injury that would put them temporarily out of work, but not permanently. However, in such a difficult economy, even those temporarily disabled will have a hard time finding work, so they are also qualified to receive unemployment benefits – intended to be temporary assistance as well – while they try to find a job and get back into the workforce.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities pointed out that people who receive Social Security Disability can earn up to $1,070 a month and still receive disability benefits – this is not scamming or double-dipping, but a way for disabled workers to “test their ability to return to work,” which is an important step when recovering from a temporary injury.
Statistically, there is also very little overlap between Social Security Disability recipients and federal unemployment benefits recipients. Of the 8.9 million Americans who currently receive Social Security Disability, around 117,000 also receive unemployment benefits. However, there is some inconsistency between states to determine if an unemployed person is “able and available for work,” which could lead those who recently lost unemployment benefits to apply for Social Security Disability.
In October, a Senate panel heard a report from Senator Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, about abuses to the Social Security Disability program, which allowed for lower standards so that more claimants could receive funds from the program.
“Congress has acted as if getting more people on the program is more important than conducting oversight,” said Coburn during the hearing. “With the clock ticking on the Social Security trust fund, the people who are truly disabled pay the price.”
As so much focus has turned to the Social Security Disability program, the Social Security Administration proposed several changes, including updates to potential job listings to define how a worker is disabled, changes to the court system including a lower caseload for judges, and changes to how lawyers and doctors disclose information about their clients’ disabilities. These changes, along with the intense federal scrutiny, could make applying for needed Social Security Disability benefits more complex and difficult.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Social Security Benefits Claim
Applying for Social Security Disability or Retirement Insurance can be complex. However, we understand that you need your benefits and we will put our years of experience to work for you to ensure that you have the representation necessary to actively pursue your claim. Call the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm today to discuss your Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income case today. We will be glad to discuss any questions you may have during our free, confidential consultation. Call the experienced attorneys at the Strom Law Firm at (803)252-4800.
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