SSD has become the ‘new’ unemployment ‘benefit’.
After 99 weeks (or so) claim you are depressed because you have not held a job for 99 weeks. BINGO!! sign right here, don’t forget my cut.
The lawyers flood the daytime TV (at least the Judge shows) with ads encouraging people to apply for their righteous bennies.
Of course, it seems ludicrous for you to be able to say you are now afraid of the dark and you were a career movie usher but since you have not worked for 99 weeks you are more afraid of the dark.
Judge Judy ‘loves’ these ‘disability claimees’ asking such questions as “You have been drawing SSD and other disabilities for 10 years now and you have children 9, 3 and 2. Just how bad is that back.?”
“So you can’t really use a shovel anymore. Get a job as a telemarketer, you seem to be able to speak, read, spin a good tale and be able to file lawsuits”. etc etc
There is a great deal of fraud. SS being a government agency doesn’t really care or bother to investigate. When I began receiving benefits, the SS documentation said my case would be reviewed periodically, I think every year, to see if I had improved enough to go back to work. I might even have to see a doctor of their choosing. That was in 2008. Never had any kind of review.