I know this is anecdotal evidence, but after my Army buddy got hired to work for Social Security we were talking about it. He was hired as a Supplemental Security Claims Rep (which is a needs based disability program that pays a fixed much smaller amount than social security disability for children and adults who do not have enough work credits to be insured for Social Security Disability) but also takes initial claims for Social Security disability.
We were both agreeing that the hardest part of the job would be dealing with all the fakers trying to get disability. We both thought 80-90% of people filing were trying to game the system.
Fast forward about a year and a half. My buddy’s done with training and has been taking claims for a year. We talk again and he tells me we were horribly wrong. He believes it’s more like 70% are not faking. They have severe medical conditions that preclude them from full time employment. Only about 30% are faking and even then some do have medical problems.
He then goes on to tell me that in our state only 32% of initial claims are approved. He describes, with great sadness, how he has seen people and families lose everything waiting on their disability to be approved. Sometimes having to wait 3-5 years for their cases to go to a hearings level.
I trust my buddies judgement. Served with him overseas and would trust him with my life. So when he tells me this I have to believe it.