Social Security Disability checks face 19 percent cut in 2016 unless solution found

The Charleston Post and Courier / The Associated Press ^ | July 22, 2015 | David Slade 

[2ndDivisionVet]

Goose Creek resident Kelly Schuler said he was earning a six-figure income in corporate sales when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and after his symptoms became apparent and he lost his job, Social Security Disability Insurance payments became his financial lifeline.

Now he finds himself among the 11 million Americans who could see their monthly checks slashed by 19 percent next year, unless federal lawmakers address a looming shortfall in the Social Security fund that pays disability benefits.

The main Social Security fund that pays retiree and survivor benefits is not expected to run short for another two decades, the government said Wednesday, but the financial challenge facing the two Social Security funds is similar....

[Bob434]

[[They need to review those on disability and eliminate them.]]

The problem is that they will be kicking people who truly need it off and leaving those who do NOT need it on the dole- because those who don’t need it will begin squawking the loudest and sue to remain on it

[AbolishCSEU]

I’ve noticed exactly the same thing. Young, jobless twenty something males wheeling around their children during the middle of the day often accompanied by the baby mama. Mainly white males.

Here’s the dirty little secret: if you are a minority, you get fast tracked onto the system. The gubmit program caseworkers don’t want to be accused of being raccccist so even if you come to your welfare recertification with a fortune 500 photo ID around your neck—if you’re a minority—no questions will be asked and no paperwork will be required.

If you are a non-minority, you’ll be audited and asked to jump through several firey flaming hoops of red tape—then usually denied at least the first time.

I know because I used to work as a clerk for the Section 8 housing program.

[Buckeye McFrog]

One of my neighbors has a blind daughter who has been gainfully employed for years. Granted I know not everybody is capable of that.

[Bob434]

and one other point- this current administration can run up an ADDITIONAL 8 TRILLION dollar debt for this country, and NOT accomplish a damn thing- and infact make things worse for millions, yet they still can’t find money for our nation’s most vulnerable and needy people?

Where are the republicans on this issue? They have been silent while the left systematically denied seniors cost of living increases (While giving themselves generous cost of living increases every year)- and the gop has stood idly by while the left accuse them of ‘hating the poor’ and ‘wanting to kick granny off the cliff’? while they themselves have done nothing to ensure our most vulnerable and needy folks are taken care of properly!

[Bob434]

there are many people far too weak to hold daily jobs- they tire very easily, become weak, and need days to recover- Being blind is of course awful, but there are jobs that can be done if the blind person is ‘healthy’ (their physical strength allows them to hold a full time job)

The problem with people who suffer weakness due to various conditions is that weakness isn’t something others caN physically see- it’s a ‘silent’ condition- and some are capable of short term work, some can do things like mow a lawn, but then they suffer for it=- and people view them mowing and think there’s nothing wrong- but they aren’;t there In the house when the person is suffering being shaky, weak, exhausted, and when it takes days for them to recover- all the viewers see is the person out mowing- or carrying something heavy- and think ‘they are scamming the system’

People with mental problems, like down syndrome, are otherwise healthy people and can do sustained work- albeit not as efficiently, in some cases- but the point being they are physically able to continue working-

There are some real devastating things out there that don’t show on the outside- many neuralgias, myalgia’s, neurological problems, etc can devastate someone’s life- yet the people ‘look fine’

[Gritty]

those who don’t need it will begin squawking the loudest and sue to remain on it

Let the greedy b@st@rds sue, but in the law have a provision for them to pay court costs if they lose.

[maddog55]

Social Security Disability checks shouldn’t exist and neither should SSI..

I’ll stand by what I said period.

I pay SS tax, I get SS when I retire if there’s anything left.

[Califreak]

My back is messed up.

I can still do hard physical labor for a short time but it wrecks me for a while.

I’m not on disability.

I can’t take just any old job anymore.

Last time I did that(hard physical labor for days instead of a few hours)it ruined me for a couple of months.

[Bob434]

[[Social Security Disability checks shouldn’t exist and neither should SSI..]]

and what do you propose to do for those who can’t work? Let them die/ Swell- have a nice day

[Graybeard58]

They get S.S.D.I. or S.S.I.?

[Bob434]

[[I’m not on disability.

I can’t take just any old job anymore.]]

Well thankfully you are able to find jobs that fit your physical requirements, however, there are people where even mental work is too much for them to handle on a daily basis- MS and ALS being some of the common ones- where even mental work exhausts them physically to the point of needing days to recuperate- but there are many folks who are physically unfit to work who might be able to do mental jobs, but who can’t find such work- or can’t find jobs that require just sitting at a desk all day- or who have physical conditions that make it such that they can’t keep steady jobs (such as people who get frequent infections and need to be either hospitalized or homebound till the infections pass- Bosses need reliable people, not people they can’t depend on regularly-

In your case, it seems you are still physically capable of doing perhaps office work? or some type of accounting or similar job? There are those who can’t even manage that because of mental limitations, physical problems that prevent it- It’s not however just the physical requirements that some people can’t handle day in and day out, it’s the mental requirements that prove too much as well-

The bottom line however, is that the problem isn’t the physically and or mentally disabled people- it’s that our government is more concerned with giving money to illegals, to able bodied people who are out of work and won’t find other jobs, with giving money to terrorist nations all around the globe, with giving vast amounts of money to wasteful projects and pork projects by the thousands, and quite frankly, with lining their own pockets, and the pockets of their buddies and special interest groups etc than they are about taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves

Our government pays ILLEGALS and pays for the damage they do here in excess of 200 BILLION dollars a year (some have that estimate up as high as $400 billion after all the expenses are considered, like legal costs, food, housing, incarceration, funeral costs for their victims etc)

The ‘shortfall’ for SSDI is going to be 30 billion (there wouldn’t even be a shortfall IF our government hadn’t taken the money out of the fund and spent it without investing it like they said they would do- the fund should have been running in surplus- now we’re short because the government didn’t think enough of it’s most vulnerable LEGAL citizens to make sure they were taken care of properly and that the people’s hard earned money was invested wisely so that there was surplus instead of deficit)

Our priorities In this country as bass ackwards- We should be first and foremost concerned with taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves- we should NOT be giving American’s money to ILLEGALS and terrorists-

Did you know some illegals- many illegals, are getting over $45,000 a year off of government programs? (not to mention they get free education in many cases now too) Compare that with the average LEGAL citizen on disability or SS who gets about $14,000 a year- and many get as little as $8000 (and now they want to cut that down to $6500 a year?)

[Califreak]

I never said I could find anything suitable.

I was an accounting clerk when I was laid off in 2008.

I’m over fifty now and unemployed for so long that they won’t even consider me.

Have been doing home care and odd jobs off and on.

Luckily I’m married or I’d be waving a cardboard sign at a stoplight.

Agree with your bottom line.

I’ve been mad about that for over 20 years now.

[Califreak]

Your last paragraph-they get so many bennies and then gloat about it to American coworkers.

Especially those ME “refugee” types.

[Bob434]

I know it- I’m no fan of trumps- however, He’s spot on about illegals- they are draining our society- and the administration in office right now, and gop rinos, all seem to favor them over our disabled, veterans and seniors- I hope he keeps hammering illegals-

[Califreak]

I hope he k e e ps on hammering all the issues and more.

I think he’s already been addressing many important issues-not just illegals.

And the swamp in DC.

I don’t care who does it but it’s got to be drained once and for all.

[CodeToad]

SSDI.

[maddog55]

So you support Obamacare for those without healthcare and don’t make enough to pay for healthcare you support those on welfare system because they can’t get a decent job, those on food stamps because they don’t make enough, Medicare, Medicaid, Section 8 housing for those who can’t find a job or afford a home and the list goes on. I’m sure you supported raising the minimum wage as well.. hell lets just have the government give everyone $50k - $60k a year and then they can afford all this shit.

There’s plenty of charities etc that support folks, the government shouldn’t be handing out money PERIOD. On veterans with disabilities that should be the VA taking care of those who supported this country.

Have a nice day...

[kearnyirish2]

Definitely; “mental soft-tissue injuries”...On the other hand, people are definitely “falling down” as they watch their standard of living slip away. Here in the NYC metro area we have no shortage of people walking in front of trains, jumping off bridges and such; it really is Ground Zero for the Greater Depression, and there is little chance of recovery (certainly not in the foreseeable future). They are putting a jumper net on the George Washington Bridge for the first time since it was built; it seems to be a site of choice (as survivability is 0%). There is no way disability payments can compare to the salaries we used to have around here; when someone loses a “before-times” job (or public employment like a cop or teacher), it seems they either leave for another state or end up offing themselves. Here in northern NJ Mercedes recently announced it was re-locating its HQ to Atlanta; there will undoubtedly be a wave of foreclosures in the wake of that because those jobs won’t be replaced. Nobody will pay enough for many of the homes (to allow the laid-off to flee), since it is a vicious cycle: Who wants a home where there are no jobs? Even retirees would be beset by the vultures picking them clean through robbery and taxation...

[Bob434]

[[So you support Obamacare for those without healthcare and don’t make enough to pay for healthcare]]

What has that got to do with people unable to work and earn a living?

[[because they can’t get a decent job, those on food stamps because they don’t make enough, Medicare, Medicaid, Section 8 housing for those who can’t find a job or afford a home and the list goes on.]]

NONE of that has anything to do with SSDI-

[[I’m sure you supported raising the minimum wage as well.. hell lets just have the government give everyone $50k - $60k a year and then they can afford all this shit.]]

I’ll speak for myself thanks- and again- none of that has anything to do with SSDI

[[Have a nice day...]]

I will- but next time please stay focused on the issues actually being discussed- - thanks!

[maddog55]

Point is simple... the Federal Governments job is not to provide handouts to people period. SS is bad enough but it’s my money that I paid in that I should be getting back but probably won’t because of all the other damn entitlements handed out to buy votes.

SSD started in 1956 21 years after SS. SSD requires some work in most cases but for as little as a 1.5 years of work you can collect forever.

SSI was created in 1974 39 years after SS and SSI has no work requirement i.e pay nothing in and you can still get it. It’s a HANDOUT funded by me paying SS taxes.

If you agree with the Federal Program of SSD and SSI which are handouts, then you agree with all the other entitlements being handed out or your a hypocrite i.e. if you benefit then it’s ok.

The Constitution’s articles, and the subsequent Amendments, specify the prerogatives of the Feds. They are listed in Article I, Sec. 8; Articles II-V; Amendments XIII-XVI, XIX-XX, XXIII-XXVI. These prerogatives belong to one of the following categories:

1) Defense, war prosecution, peace, foreign relations, foreign commerce, and interstate commerce;

2) The protection of citizens’ constitutional rights (e.g the right to vote) and ensuring that slavery remains illegal;

3) Establishing federal courts inferior to the SCOTUS;

4) Copyright protection;

5) Coining money;

6) Establishing post offices and post roads;

7) Establishing a national set of universal weights and measures;

8 ) Taxation needed to raise revenue to perform these essential functions.

I don’t see anywhere in the constitution where it says if you can’t work or earn a living then the Federal Government will supply you with money to live.

The Tenth Amendment states that all prerogatives not explicitly given to the Federal Government, nor prohibited of the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.

States can do what they want along with charities and family but it’s not the Federal Governments job.