Are you on disability?

[Charmonium]

17.5% of people on disability also work - https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/1...people-with-a-disability-employed-in-2015.htm. That's from 2015 though so the percentage might be higher now.

I know 60 minutes did a piece on the issue of fraud a year or two ago and it was definitely something a lot of people did when their unemployment ran out. Then the rules got a lot tougher and from what I understand, people who apply for it now never get it. They have to file appeals that can go on for over a year. I guess their attorneys get a part of whatever lumpsum payment for back benefits they get.

You can probably still game the system if you get a cooperating doctor but my impression is that it's still very difficult to get.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

17.5% of people on disability also work - https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/1...people-with-a-disability-employed-in-2015.htm. That's from 2015 though so the percentage might be higher now.

I know 60 minutes did a piece on the issue of fraud a year or two ago and it was definitely something a lot of people did when their unemployment ran out. Then the rules got a lot tougher and from what I understand, people who apply for it now never get it. They have to file appeals that can go on for over a year. I guess their attorneys get a part of whatever lumpsum payment for back benefits they get.

You can probably still game the system if you get a cooperating doctor but my impression is that it's still very difficult to get.

So I guess here is the criticism here to your point - Unlike other government programs - as I understand it there is little oversight once one has been approved for the gravy train of disability. If they deem you disabled at any given point, the oversight to see that you are continued to be disabled is overall very minimal. Please feel free to correct me there, there isn't exactly much publicity on this exact subject. You can easily find graphs showing that when the economy was having issues in the recession, the number of people approved for disability was substantially increased. That makes no sense. The economy should have zero correlation with a disability by logical standards. Obviously we can understand WHY - but if anything that points towards evidence that it is being abused.

Second, the reason why there is so much criticism on this subject is because of how much abuse we see in day to day lives. I know people are quick to judge - and that applies to both sides of the argument here. But there is no question - as I said, handicapped parking spaces are a PERFECT example. Another ATOT user quoted me and told me to "quantify" this. As if I should get out a clipboard and go to my local grocery stores and travel across country. It doesn't take a genius to recognize this. I implore everyone here to go to your nearest Walmart and study it for yourself. As I said, the people that use handicapped parking spaces 95% of the time should actually be forced to have parking spaces in the back of the lot if we were truly concerned about their well-being.

Personally though, I don't have anything really to say about EBT / Food Stamps / Welfare programs, mostly because I don't care about other Americans enough to pay attention that closely at the grocery store.

 

[BoomerD]

So I guess here is the criticism here to your point - Unlike other government programs - as I understand it there is little oversight once one has been approved for the gravy train of disability. If they deem you disabled at any given point, the oversight to see that you are continued to be disabled is overall very minimal. Please feel free to correct me there, there isn't exactly much publicity on this exact subject. You can easily find graphs showing that when the economy was having issues in the recession, the number of people approved for disability was substantially increased. That makes no sense. The economy should have zero correlation with a disability by logical standards. Obviously we can understand WHY - but if anything that points towards evidence that it is being abused.

Second, the reason why there is so much criticism on this subject is because of how much abuse we see in day to day lives. I know people are quick to judge - and that applies to both sides of the argument here. But there is no question - as I said, handicapped parking spaces are a PERFECT example. Another ATOT user quoted me and told me to "quantify" this. As if I should get out a clipboard and go to my local grocery stores and travel across country. It doesn't take a genius to recognize this. I implore everyone here to go to your nearest Walmart and study it for yourself. As I said, the people that use handicapped parking spaces 95% of the time should actually be forced to have parking spaces in the back of the lot if we were truly concerned about their well-being.

Personally though, I don't have anything really to say about EBT / Food Stamps / Welfare programs, mostly because I don't care about other Americans enough to pay attention that closely at the grocery store.

Gravy train? The MAXIMUM you can get on SSDI is just under $2800/month...and you would have had to make VERY GOOD money for several years to have paid in enough to get that...the AVERAGE payment is a bit over $1100/month...there's not a helluva lot of gravy in that train.

The system is broken...or at least bent. It takes MOST people a couple of years to collect...they apply for benefits, get denied, hire a lawyer to represent them, often get denied again...then appeal and often win. The lawyer gets (IIRC) 25% of their benefit award for his/her work...in the meantime, folks who are too injured/disabled to work lose their homes, cars, families often fall apart...

I don't think anyone will deny that there's fraud in the disability system...but it's not as rampant as the Republicans want us to believe...

https://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/08/busting-the-myths-about-disability-fraud/

 

[mikeymikec]

@BoomerD

You are talking to someone who believes that the perfect example of a flaw in a publicly-run system is found in poorly enforced private car parks. That's what makes sense to him.

 

[Zanovar]

Not sure how it works in the US(pun not intended),but in the UK it is quite difficult for genuine people.There was a company called Atos?,not sure if they are still running the show..I think an mp in the house of commons said it best,this is not a direct quote(cant find it} but he said something along the lines of"We have found the bones of richard the 3rd, atos are discussing whether he is eligible for work".Im not on disability btw.

 

[Mai72]

It's not like these people are living the good life. I'd rather work and contribute before I die. That's just me though.

Plus, you put yourself at the mercy of the government. If they decide to stop or reduce payment you're f*cked.

 

[pete6032]

So I guess here is the criticism here to your point - Unlike other government programs - as I understand it there is little oversight once one has been approved for the gravy train of disability. If they deem you disabled at any given point, the oversight to see that you are continued to be disabled is overall very minimal. Please feel free to correct me there, there isn't exactly much publicity on this exact subject. You can easily find graphs showing that when the economy was having issues in the recession, the number of people approved for disability was substantially increased. That makes no sense. The economy should have zero correlation with a disability by logical standards. Obviously we can understand WHY - but if anything that points towards evidence that it is being abused.

Second, the reason why there is so much criticism on this subject is because of how much abuse we see in day to day lives. I know people are quick to judge - and that applies to both sides of the argument here. But there is no question - as I said, handicapped parking spaces are a PERFECT example. Another ATOT user quoted me and told me to "quantify" this. As if I should get out a clipboard and go to my local grocery stores and travel across country. It doesn't take a genius to recognize this. I implore everyone here to go to your nearest Walmart and study it for yourself. As I said, the people that use handicapped parking spaces 95% of the time should actually be forced to have parking spaces in the back of the lot if we were truly concerned about their well-being.

Personally though, I don't have anything really to say about EBT / Food Stamps / Welfare programs, mostly because I don't care about other Americans enough to pay attention that closely at the grocery store.

So you're basically saying that people rampantly abuse SSDI because you've seen people in Walmart parking in the Handicapped space.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Never been on disability or unemployment or anything of that nature, but if I had to be on it, I'd do it. I've paid more than my fair share in taxes to deserve it. I have no issues with people who use the service as long as they arn't faking it or taking advantage of it.

 

[tgferg67]

"Disability" sure. absolutely.

But if you think there isn't grounds for concern of the substantial amount of abuse, then just go to your nearest Walmart and see who parks in a handicapped parking space. If you think they are taken by people that are "disabled" then I have a bridge to sell you.

Hell, if anything the people that take those spaces should have an assigned parking space where they are only allowed to park in the back of the lot.

So you can tell people that are disabled by looking at them...
Chronic pain and/or nervous system disorders don't show from the outside - sometimes "sick" people look healthier from the outside from trying to stop progression/reverse disease through diet/lifestyle

 

[Darwin333]

my fiancee was on short term disability last year for PTSD and anxiety. It was a blessing as she couldn't work and she was going to outpatient therapy almost every day and that was where she had to focus. I think that lasted four months or so, maybe a little longer. She is now working almost full-time and going to school for IT. Disability helped keep her going until she could get back up on her feet.

Glad to hear about your wife's recovery! But I've always heard that it took forever to get disability and you always get denied the first go'round.

 

[MrSquished]

Glad to hear about your wife's recovery! But I've always heard that it took forever to get disability and you always get denied the first go'round.

Apparently short-term disability is much easier to get. She did apply for full on regular disability but got denied for that. But luckily some switch flipped in her at therapy and she only needed the short term disability. She is a strong chiquita it turns out.

 

[Darwin333]

Apparently short-term disability is much easier to get. She did apply for full on regular disability but got denied for that. But luckily some switch flipped in her at therapy and she only needed the short term disability. She is a strong chiquita it turns out.

Ahh, I didn't realize that there were different types of disability.

 

[MrSquished]

Ahh, I didn't realize that there were different types of disability.

Yeah dunno if it's state by state but in NJ it's TDI or Temporary Disability Insurance and they last for up to 6 months. It's not a lot of money, not enough to live on. But it's better than nothing. When you are hospitalized for a week then in intensive outpatient therapy for months after it's kind of hard to work full time and get the help you need at the same time.

 

[bradly1101]

It seems like the concentration for those on some form of government assistance is high on this forum. Could be wrong, but I doubt it. I'm lucky to not be part of it. I'd do my best to avoid being on it and continue working if something ever happened. Being dependent on the small amount of money the government gives is no way I would want to live my life.

Why do you call it 'government assistance' when the money comes FROM you through them?

Isn't it really Self-Assistance, not government assistance?

So are you saying that if you couldn't work you'd just die?

 

[AdamK47]

Why do you call it 'government assistance' when the money comes FROM you through them?

Isn't it really Self-Assistance, not government assistance?

So are you saying that if you couldn't work you'd just die?

You're right. I should stop giving money to the government if all they're going to do is hand it out to others not working. I mean, it makes my plan sound like a good idea when you put it that way.

Working or not working, I'm already dead inside.