I recall in 2009 suddenly the Social Security office hired on a bunch of new hearing officers and started handing out Social Security Disability like candy.
Strap on a baby bonnet. That qualifies. Tell them you’re not sure if you are male or female. That qualifies.
SS’s strategy is to try to get applicants to die before they can be approved.
Equals the population of Wyoming plus Rhode Island.
I was a Social Security Claims Rep for a couple of years back in 1973 and 74. Back then all disability applications were rejected unless there was just no question at all.
You then filed for a rehearing which is done by the state agency which does the actual approvals. As near as I could tell, no one won at this level, it was just a step you had to go through.
Now the administrative law judge was where most were approved. Maybe more were approved than rejected but that was a long time ago. Also a lot of people simply give up before that.
Next is an appeal to the national office and again no one wins there but it is the last step before your lawyer files a lawsuit, if you have one.
Not many win the lawsuits but SS will often agree to a compromise before the case actually ends up in Federal court. Often agreeing to grant you disability but only from a recent point.
At that time, Social Security Disability was very difficult to get. May have changed since then tho.
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
Its much easier to apply for SSI.
SSD on the other hand, is very difficult to get on even though the benefits are quite good.
You have to have a very serious disability that interferes with normal employment to collect.
You will be turned down for SSD - they will tell you that at the local SSA office.
Get a lawyer and hope your appeal succeeds before you get your SSD checks at the bank.
The Democrat’s Wealth Redistribution Dependents...
One of my best friends does work as a disability evaluator, in addition to his normal psycho-therapy practice. The amount of people trying to scam the system is unbelievable... no wonder there’s a backlog. Fortunately most of the people who try to scam the system, are quite stupid... they do however regularly lodge complaints against the evaluators. They also notoriously miss their appointments and/or show up late.