Although many people may think of Social Security Administration benefits as being only for the elderly, the recent “Fast Facts & Figures” notes that those with other disability qualifying conditions can be approved as well. Mark Miller wrote on Forbes that there are three main programs: Retirement, disability insurance and supplemental security income, which helps support those with low-income. Disability benefit recipients are the average age of 53.2 years old, down from 57.2 years in 1960.
Lisa Ekman, director of federal policy for Health & Disability Advocates, a non-profit advocacy group, said the growing demographic of those receiving disability benefits are those 48 to 67 years old. A big reason for the larger age may be the growing number of those supported by these disabilities, with 9 million disabled workers being paid this year, up from 5.9 million just 10 years ago. Social Security’s chief actuary Stephen Goss told Miller that despite worries that the SSA will run out of reserves, he believes there will be action by Congress taken.
“We’ll have 11.5 million people getting disability benefits in 2016, and they will be facing a benefit cut in an election year,” he told Reuters. “Can you imagine any Congress facing the music on that?”
The Social Security disability program is paid for from payroll taxes as well as from general tax revenues. The program is designed to replace income for those individuals who can no longer work. Claimants who, due to severe medical conditions, believe they can no longer work, should apply for benefits without hesitation. The Law Offices of Harold W. Conick & Associates are available to provide advocacy to those seeking disability benefits.
