Puerto Ricans who can’t speak English qualify as disabled for Social Security

Washington Post ^ | April 10 at 6:00 AM | Josh Hicks

[rickyrikardo]

Hundreds of Puerto Rico’s residents qualified for federal disability benefits in recent years because they lacked fluency in English, according to government auditors.

The Social Security Administration’s inspector general questioned the policy this month in light of the fact that Spanish is the predominant language in the U.S. territory.

Under Social Security regulations, individuals are considered less employable in the United States if they can’t speak English, regardless of their work experience or level of education.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Of course they do...!!!

[fhayek]

Am I the only one who is aware of the $210 trillion debt?

[dfwgator]

What about for those who can’t read or write cursive?

[GeronL]

Much dumber than counting ketchup as a veggie

[cripplecreek]

At the rate we’re going we can get disability for not speaking Spanish in a few years.

[nascarnation]

Any mention of debt/deficit/etc in the MSM stopped in Jan 2009. Those words were joined by McJobs and homeless problem in the journ-0-list wastebasket.

[Beowulf9]

My sister took 3 years trying to get on disability for Scleroderma, which did eventually kill her. They fought her and fought her on it.

I’ve been told by a friend who worked for a lawyers office that drug addicts are never turned down for it.

[dhs12345]

OPM — Other Peoples Money, so who cares. /sarc

[Milton Miteybad]

No hablo Ingles, Senor.

[fhayek]

We encourage people not to learn English by all the bilingual nonsense that the taxpayer underwrites, then we pay these very same people because they didn’t learn English. WTF.

[blueunicorn6]

“Everything must support the Democrat Party. Now, how can the Social Security Administration support the Party?”

“Comrade, we can support the Party by allowing our party members to receive disability for anything like, say, wearing a baby bonnet.”

“Good. Make it so, comrade.”

[ek_hornbeck]

By this standard, millions of Mexicans and Chicanos throughout the are also “disabled” and eligible for benefits. Many of the former speak only Spanish, many of the latter speak in gibberish barrio Spanglish.

[FlingWingFlyer]

How ‘bout us gringos who can’t sprechen da espanol?

[napscoordinator]

Not good but at least they are American....that is what is surprising. You would think it would be for illegal aliens.

[lowbridge]

Whee! Free money!

Er, I meant. ..

Whee! Dinero gratis!

[libertarian27]

Direct link to the audit report
http://oig.ssa.gov/sites/default/files/audit/full/pdf/A-12-13-13062.pdf
check out page 9:

---

For instance, we reviewed a DDS case where a 50-year-old female claimant in Puerto Rico filed for disability in FY 2010. She had 2 years’ advanced education, previously worked as a dental assistant, and only spoke Spanish.
The claimant alleged disability based on depression and disorders of the back. Her doctor noted that, with her medical condition, she could perform light work.
Given these factors, as well as inability to communicate in English, the adjudicator was able to cite grid rule 202.09 (see Table 1) and determine the claimant was disabled. Had the claimant been able to communicate in English, grid rules 202.12 or 202.14 would most likely
have directed a determination of not disabled.

---

The gist of this is non-English speakers in Puerto Rico are getting SSDI because they are classified as illiterate under English-grid-rules.
My question is: Are US ‘citizens’ in the US getting SSDI under these same English-grid-rules, when, if they spoke English they wouldn’t qualify?

[utax]

This should help you understand why they “need” to raise your eligibility age and implement means testing.

[SoFloFreeper]

Can Americans who live in Miami qualify for benefits if they don't speak Spanish?!!???

[Lockbox]

Gee I live in Houston, can I get it because I don’t speak Spanish?