Posted on 02/19/2012 10:19:32 AM PST by Libloather
Report: Millions of jobless file for disability when unemployment benefits run out
Published February 19, 2012 | FoxNews.com
Being unemployed for too long reportedly is driving people mad and costing taxpayers billions of dollars in mental illness and other disability claims.
The New York Post reported Sunday that as unemployment checks run out, many jobless are trying to gain government benefits by declaring themselves unhealthy.
More than 10.5 million people -- about 5.3 percent of the population aged 25 and 64 -- received disability checks in January from the federal government, the Post wrote, a 18 percent jump from before the recession.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Occupy freeloaders can get a check in the mail.
All part of Barry the Kenyan Guy’s “Hope and Change” program. When unemployment runs out, the next step is disability. What a country! Ain’t this Nanny State crap grand?!
It wouldn’t surprise me if they are encouraging people to do this BEFORE their unemployment benefits run out just to get the unemployment numbers down.
This administration has depressed me enough that maybe I could apply for disability on that basis?
I have a friend who is a Wisconsin Workers Compensation judge. He told me recently that he is seeing a lot of younger workers coming in for hearings on their WC claims that are already on Social Security disability. This is new in two ways, more young as these people were usually older in the past and second, they already are on it. Usually WC claim hearings come before one gets S.S. disability so, it looks like SS is fast tracking disability claims—being very generous and very fast compared to the past.
This is bad news to working taxpayers as the SSDI fund is broke and is now tapping the federal general revenues to pay claim. More federal debt and spending.
I’m sure many people are legitimately “disabled” but for a large segment of the population disability is just another path to getting money for doing nothing.
Greece is just around the corner, isn’t it?
I actually think that once some people start getting unemployment benefits, they think “Hey, this is great!” and start looking for ways to keep it coming. This is especially true for people who are at the low end of the wage scale anyway and have had to bust hump to make even $40K per year. For them, SSDI is the path of least resistance.
My wife’s best friend’s husband is an SSDI lawyer. He always has this smirk on his face when he says business is booming.
When is the Regime going to start running commercials advertising the availability of SSDI?
No need for that since the legal firms chasing these cases seem to be buying plenty of time to advertise.
Depression caused by 99 weeks of unemployment = disability?
Well, guilty as charged your honors. Of course, it took two strokes and congestive heart failure to “become” disabled, but I am one of the statistics. Minding my own business, went back to school for my teaching certificate and the next thing I know I wake up in the hospital.
I felt bad applying, too, let me tell you. Until I went to the local Social Security office to do so. Not meaning to stereotype but I thought I was on the wrong side of town and at the welfare office. Thought maybe some of them were there to get a replacement card until you hear them ask for disability paperwork.
This one girl with no visible disability and only 20 told the SS worker that she’d never worked a day in her life and that she couldn’t work ever. Funny but it hadn’t prevented her from procreating as she had two toddlers in tow.
Not much of a surprise.
Turn on Jerry Springer or similar daytime program.
Half the adverts are SSDI attorneys.
“You’ve paid into the system all your life, now’s the time to collect what you’re due”
“No fee until your case is settled”
I’ve got to wonder; you have been posting that big red X for months now. Does it possibly mean something?
I’m going to give many of these people the benefit of the doubt. During good economic times truly disabled people are able to work because the labor market is easy to get a job and many times employers must overlook disabilities in order to fill the job openings.
Now in this market employers, if they have job openings, can be extremely picky. A disabled person isn’t going to be hired even if they do want to work. Often times disabled people are less productive (no fault of their own) and so are also the first to be let go.
Millions of people are giving up on the economy and retiring earlier, taking the disability when they never did before etc...
The underlying question is: “does a good economy create jobs?” or “do companies hiring create a good economy?”.
If there was no social security nor disability or anything else these people have to take jobs to feed themselves. This would depress wages for generations to come. Why would your company keep you one if they could replace you with an equally qualified person willing to work at 1/5 of your salary?
Know someone who claims mental disability. She told me how to game the system as she was working out in the gym while using her iPad.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.