The article stated that Congress significantly watered down the eligibility standards in the 1980s.
I am not sure how much they watered it down but it did need to made a bit easier. I sprecifically remember one poor kid who was in a wheel chair. He never had walked and never would. they dicided he could work at jobs where he could sit down and work.
I had mixed feelings on that. He may have been happier knowing he was working and earning his own money. But there is no real astigmatism on a worke who hap paid in and was entitled to it.
The kid was completley happy doing the work on his own even tho he had paid taxes for the money he got.