<p>I am confused. If you cannot have more that $2000 in assets (i assume this includes husb/wife or parents of minor)and you have to hire an attorney to fight your case, how do the applicants afford this?</p>
<p>I usually love NPR, but this is terrible journalism that perpetuates the old myth that disabled people are lazy, dishonest money-grubbers who just don’t want to work. Frankly, it’s <em>incredibly</em> hard to find a job that doesn’t require standing for long periods of time or lifting as an essential (non-accommodation eligible) requirement. I’ve seen this listed as an essential function for ACCOUNTING jobs, so it’s not just blue collar jobs, either. The author could have gone that direction and explored how limited job markets are even worse for people with disabilities, but she choose instead to frame it in such a way as to promote old, prejudiced, harmful myths about people with disabilities. Are there people who commit fraud in SSI and SSDI? Yes, there’s fraud in any large system. Are they the majority or even a large minority? No. Are there people on SSI/SSDI who won’t work if given the chance for a livable wage (which SSI and SSDI typically aren’t)? Yes, but they are far and away the minority. Not that you would know that from reading this travesty of journalism and misrepresentation. It bothers me that people can still get away with such misrepresentations of a minority and not get called out for it.</p>
<p>I think many people who are denied disability payments, and who hire an attorney choose one who works on a contingency basis. That is, if the individual wins their case and receives back payments, the attorney will collect a fee from the back payments.</p>
<p>Payments to attorneys on disability claims are regulated. Payments are made directly to the attorneys if the win an award. You can have an attorney in these cases with no upfront fees or expenses. Fees are also capped at 24% of back benefits or $6k - whichever is less.</p>
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<p>Did you read or hear the report? If so, your perception is certainly much different from mine. I didn’t get any sense of the judgment suggested in your post.</p>
<p>I know someone well who is on Social Security disability and it was a lengthy and difficult process to be approved. There’s no way that this individual is able to work and the amount received monthly makes it very difficult to lead anything more than bare subsistance living. I’m not sure where all these people are who are getting tons of money and have nothing really wrong with them, or who is approving them for benefits but it sure isn’t the experience of the person I know. Not even close.</p>
<p>I know that this was not the OP’s intent in starting this thread, but I really need to see about getting my sister on SSI! She is 58, with a masters degree, and is mentally ill. For three years my parents have paid in excess of their annual income to support her in her own apartment (albeit in a dangerous neighborhood because that is all they can afford). My father is now deceased so my mom’s income has declined. My sister will get the occasional job but it never lasts.</p>
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<p>I’ve been listening to this story all week and I have to say, I’m not sure what to think. NPR usually does a good job (and I’m not saying they didn’t in this case) but this story has left me somewhat confused. I think, perhaps, because it came at a time when I’ve recently had contact with some folks who ‘appear’ to be milking this system. Of course, I know that it is terribly unfair of me to make judgements like that and it’s not usually the way I think. I’ve always been a huge supporter of welfare because I think there are people out there that just aren’t able to support themselves and quite frankly most welfare benefits go to women and children, not able-bodied men. In a perfect world, we would offer financial assistance to people while at the same time helping them develop skills, find jobs or at least do some sort of ‘work’ in exchange for benefits. </p>
<p>Honestly, there is corruption and people taking advantage of our government programs at all level…starting with many of our congressmen & Wall Street all the way down to main street. I guess this shouldn’t come as any surprise. Is there such thing as a society were this type of thing * doesn’t* exist?</p>
<p>I am just thankful that I am in a position where it’s not necessary to have to depend on others (or the gov’t) for subsistence. Can’t imagine it’s a pleasant way to live.</p>
<p>Has anyone watched ‘Winter in America’? NPR mentioned that also. I believe it’s available on Netflix Instant Video.</p>
<p>Everyone depends on others. If you work or are self-employed, you are dependent on someone employing you or someone purchasing your goods or services.</p>
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<p>Yes, of course. I’m not going to comment on something I haven’t read. </p>
<p>I’m kind of mystified as how someone can’t see the judgement. For example:</p>
<p>“People don’t seem to be faking this pain, but it gets confusing. I have back pain. My editor has a herniated disc, and he works harder than anyone I know. There must be millions of people with asthma and diabetes who go to work every day. Who gets to decide whether, say, back pain makes someone disabled?”</p>
<p>“Over and over again, I’d listen to someone’s story of how back pain meant they could no longer work, or how a shoulder injury had put them out of a job. Then I would ask: What about a job where you don’t have to lift things, or a job where you don’t have to use your shoulder, or a job where you can sit down?”</p>
<p>“Scott tried school for a while, but hated it. So he took the advice of the rogue staffer who told him to suck all the benefits he could out of the system. He had a heart attack after the mill closed and figured, “Since I’ve had a bypass, maybe I can get on disability, and then I won’t have worry to about this stuff anymore.” It worked; Scott is now on disability.”</p>
<p>"Kids should be encouraged to go to school. Kids should want to do well in school. Parents should want their kids to do well in school. Kids should be confident their parents can provide for them regardless of how they do in school. Kids should become more and more independent as they grow older and hopefully be able to support themselves at around age 18.</p>
<p>The disability program stands in opposition to every one of these aims."</p>
<p>To me, the attitude is clearly “I pulled myself up by my boot straps, but these people just don’t want to put in the effort to go to school or do well and just want to milk the system dry so they don’t have to work. If they just put in <em>effort</em> or were willing to move, and didn’t have this cash cow of a system, they would, too.” </p>
<p>That’s completely and totally missing the reality of what it’s like to have a disability and be looking for work–namely, that a majority of the doors are closed to you on disability reasons <em>alone</em>. </p>
<p>I say this as a woman with a severe, congenital, and unambiguous physical disability who has never received government disability benefits, but has known with dread since I was a teenager that the employment odds were heavily against me due to my disability (about 4:1) and that my job options would be very, very limited due to my disability, no matter how good my other qualifications.</p>
<p>I just heard a part of this story on the radio today. I read the article earlier. The radio piece really focused on this consulting firm that seeks out welfare recipients and works very hard to get them off welfare and on federal disability. The states pay them per person moved off of Welfare. This is the part that is new, not SSI itself but this industry that aggressively and efficiently moves these folks from welfare to SSI. There are great financial incentives for the State (welfare costs the state, SSI does not), the consulting firm is paid handsomely by the state per customer, and the individual makes more money on disability than on welfare. So its a win win win… except for the federal govt disability trust fund.</p>
<p>Romanigypsies,</p>
<p>There is fraud in everything. </p>
<p>What percentage of cases of fraud would you accept for a program you consider worthwhile?</p>
<p>NJres, I thought states wanted to take over government functions from the federal government?</p>
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<p>Then you missed some of the nuance. The earlier questions she had all set the tone for the realization that there were no jobs at which these people could sit. The arc of the story started with her naivet</p>
<p>"cartera45</p>
<p>“Payments to attorneys on disability claims are regulated. Payments are made directly to the attorneys if the win an award. You can have an attorney in these cases with no upfront fees or expenses. Fees are also capped at 24% of back benefits or $6k - whichever is less.”</p>
<p>So how did law firms make so much money?</p>
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The arc of the story started with her naivet</p>
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<p>The majority of the cases are cookie cutter so they handle a gazillion of them. The same way doctors who do rote surgeries, like cataract surgery, make a lot of money.</p>
<p>So how did law firms make so much money?</p>
<p>It is like an assembly line. The work is done by an attorney once and then a secretary ever after. Also, fees are different from disbursements. All contingency firms charge you up the wazoo for every paper clip and tissue they use on your behalf.</p>
<p>One of the problems in the congressional report is there just aren’t enough courts deciding the issue of who gets disability. In order to do a better job, govt would have to hire more workers. Govt spending would have to rise at first. </p>
<p>I skimmed thru the 136 pages. Many of the decisions were not clear cut. The study took place in 3 counties in the south where problems were on average higher than the rest of the country. People who were denied disability, and maybe should receive disabilty were not part of the study.</p>
<p>What can be done on the legal end to save money?</p>
<p>I think there is a legitimate need for lawyers to advocate for their clients and individually I don’t think it is hugely expensive. The problem, as with pension fraud or auto accident fraud, is when the doctors and lawyers get together to rig the system. Based on the prosecutions here, the disability mills aren’t too hard to find. It is a question of will.</p>