| If you become disabled and unable to work in America, | | | | an ever-smaller pool of social security employees who, |
| you can apply for federal assistance in the form of | | | | increasingly, become more embittered over the state |
| social security disability and, if you are lucky, your own | | | | of their agency. The effect on morale shouldn't be |
| case will be among the thirty or so percent of claims | | | | hard to figure out, of course, nor should the eventual |
| that are actually approved at the application level. | | | | outcome. As the social security administration |
| However, if your initial claim is not approved (and | | | | continues to ignore its staffing issues, the likelihood is |
| seven out of ten are not), you'll have to go through an | | | | strong that existing workers, particularly those who are |
| arduous appeal system that can literally take years. | | | | eligible to take retirement, will at some point begin to |
| And years, these days, can easily up to three years. | | | | quit or retire in numbers that may take the agency to |
| Title II benefits, otherwise known as RSDI, DIB, or more | | | | a precipice. |
| plainly, Social security disability, is an underfunded | | | | Unfortunately, the situation that exists at the social |
| (manpower-wise), lumbering, and creaking contraption | | | | security administration is not well known, nor |
| that does not serve the citizens of this country well at | | | | understood by the public at large, or the media in |
| all. In fact, it doesn't even come close in this regard. | | | | general. But it should be. |
| During the unreasonably long wait times enforced upon | | | | A 3/1/07 UPI article states some pretty sobering |
| claimants for the processing of disability applications | | | | statistics. More than half of all U.S. workers would be in |
| and appeals, a percentage of these claimants, sadly, | | | | the position of not being able to pay their bills |
| will end up loosing everything thing they have. And | | | | (mortgage, utilities, food) if they developed a disabling |
| many of them, those that can afford to, will end up | | | | condition that prevented them from being able to work. |
| looking through the yellow pages to find someone who | | | | And it is estimated that approximately twenty percent |
| can assist them in filing for bankruptcy. | | | | of the U.S. workforce will actually become disabled for |
| It is amazing that this situation goes on in a country like | | | | a period lasting a year or longer at some point before |
| this. And it is unconscionable that so many American | | | | they reach the age of sixty-five. |
| citizens are "thrown into such a pit" simply because the | | | | Inevitably, if things are not fixed at the social security |
| U.S. Congress refuses to fund SSA at the proper | | | | administration with regard to proper staffing for its |
| levels. Funding is available, of course, for the issuance | | | | social security disability and SSI programs, the situation |
| of benefits as are cost of living increases. However, | | | | could go on to negatively affect the lives of millions of |
| the necessary funding to replace workers who retire | | | | American workers over the course of the next few |
| or who quit from social security field offices is | | | | years. And it is for this reason that the politicians we |
| practically nonexistent (and a great many SSA | | | | send to Congress should be more concerned, and |
| employees already have the required "time in" to to | | | | should be made more responsive to the needs of the |
| take retirement). | | | | public, particularly those who need assistance at one |
| How does inadequate personnel staffing at the social | | | | of the worst times they may experience in their lives. |
| security administration affect the public? Obviously in | | | | The author of this article is Timothy Moore, who, in |
| this way: as more workers quit or retire and are not | | | | addition to being a former food stamp caseworker, |
| replaced, the processing of social security disability and | | | | medicaid caseworker and AFDC caseworker, is a |
| ssi claims becomes, over time, slower and slower and | | | | former disability claims examiner. He publishes |
| slower. Work loads that were formerly addressed by | | | | information at Social Security Disability Secrets. |
| X number of workers become increasingly handled by | | | | |