Social Security disability programs are running out of money. As such Social Security executives are looking for ways to reduce the outflow of dollars.
One effort has been to tighten up eligibility standards. Claimant’s representatives throughout the country are reporting that ALJ approval rates are down. When cases are approved, judges are including directives in their decisions for SSA to review approved the approved claimant for medical improvement in one year or three years.
SSA has increased and will continue to increase the number of continuing disability reviews for approved claimants. For years, the CDR program was basically ignored by Social Security – as a result only a very tiny percentage of approved claimants were ever removed from the payment rolls and there was no inquiry into improved medical status. This is changing and I am starting to receive calls from my old clients asking about these continuing reviews.
SSA has also put more focus on its work incentive programs such as the ticket to work program. SSA has commissioned a website called ChooseWork.net, which contains extensive information about return to work incentives. In partnership with Cornell University, SSA participates in monthly interactive webinars that explain in great detail how these work incentives operate. The webinars are also recorded and available 24 hours a day. You can register for a forthcoming free webinar here.
The Ticket to Work program allows approved claimants to continue receiving their monthly benefits while they try to work. This means that you will not be cut off if you accept a job.
I have always advised my clients that they will earn more money and feel more personal satisfaction working as opposed to collecting benefits with a label of “disabled.” Obviously not all claimants with serious medical problems will be able to rejoin the workforce but for some claimants, access to Medicare and financial resources to seek medical treatment will result in a favorable improvement in their lives.
I encourage you to educate yourself about SSA’s work incentive programs and to consider participating if your medical condition warrants.
I think that SSDI should allow beneficiaries to earn more money a month through part time employment than what is allowed now because the cost of living has increased. Then those participants can pay more SSI tax and maintain the essentials needed to live without further relying upon entitlements such as snap and they can pay a fee for medical benefits, such as medicare.
Also, beneficiaries are allowed to work nine month without their benefits being abolished during this period they can make over the monthly allotment allowed by SSDI. After that period their benefits are reviewed to see if they still qualify for disability. That nine month period has no duration, it does not have to be in succession, it can be in a ten year period and it can be during the entire life of a person. This needs to change. It should be that if a person has not successfully completed the nine months in a fairly reasonable time, that period should be start over and begin, again. Beneficiaries attempt to return to work and may have to make several attempts to successfully do so due to hardships of their handicaps, some take temporary employment that may only be for nine months.
I paid SSI taxes all of my working years, it is not an entitlement because anyone who receives SSDI and Medicare have paid in it and we should not feel threatened if we attempt to return to work, or about continuing to receive payments. What are paying taxes for these items for. Stop taking these taxes and let us pay into our own retirement, disability programs.