Social Security Disability
Senator Coburn of Oklahoma is concerned about the growth in Social Security Disability payments. He has a valid point when he says he thinks the program is being gamed. There has been a change in the way the program is being administered for sure. Folks are getting approved for the program that would never have been deemed so disabled that they were unable to work in the past.
Previously, it was almost impossible to qualify for the program and folks scuffled along and some employers hired folks and received tax credits for their efforts and jobs were restructured to keep others working. This required an economy that was growing and a much lower rate of unemployment. When the unemployment rate is below 4.5% and there is a good chance for a job for all that are looking for work this is not a major problem for the economy.
If you watch daytime TV, you a the target market for lawyers looking for work/clients and are willing to take your case to the Social Security Administration and brow beat the system until you get your money and they get a piece of your money.
Seems like these cases are so routine now it's almost like hiring a lawyer to represent you in traffic court or getting pain medication at a pill mill. These two institutions in Miami don't function very well as most really crappy drivers don't have a license and the MD's in a lot of these clinics are crooked at best. This quinella of medicine and law may also be a driving force in the explosion of disability applications but the economy is also a big driver on the issue as well.
This is an unintended consequence of the lack of programs big enough to get the economy going and structural unemployment in the economy. How many employers should be paying for discriminating against older workers or the marginally disabled, more than a few I bet. If applying for SSDI and hiring a lawyer to handle the case seems like rational behavior maybe we should be asking ourselves about the alternatives.
Teenage unemployment is huge and retraining programs are inadequate related to the need in many areas of the country. And the debt ceiling looms while the government decides what is essential and everyone will get back pay so who gives a crap until October 17th when things could get really ugly and makes this all look like small, small potatoes.
Yesterday, I listened to a Senate Hearing regarding fraud in the program and it is clear that there are some bad actors in the program. The Conn Law Firm with offices in throughout the country was the star yesterday with several former employees testifying about bad behavior at their West Virginia Office. I have to give credit to the staff for selecting the firm "Con Law". The irony would be funny if it weren't really sad.
Previously, it was almost impossible to qualify for the program and folks scuffled along and some employers hired folks and received tax credits for their efforts and jobs were restructured to keep others working. This required an economy that was growing and a much lower rate of unemployment. When the unemployment rate is below 4.5% and there is a good chance for a job for all that are looking for work this is not a major problem for the economy.
If you watch daytime TV, you a the target market for lawyers looking for work/clients and are willing to take your case to the Social Security Administration and brow beat the system until you get your money and they get a piece of your money.
Seems like these cases are so routine now it's almost like hiring a lawyer to represent you in traffic court or getting pain medication at a pill mill. These two institutions in Miami don't function very well as most really crappy drivers don't have a license and the MD's in a lot of these clinics are crooked at best. This quinella of medicine and law may also be a driving force in the explosion of disability applications but the economy is also a big driver on the issue as well.
This is an unintended consequence of the lack of programs big enough to get the economy going and structural unemployment in the economy. How many employers should be paying for discriminating against older workers or the marginally disabled, more than a few I bet. If applying for SSDI and hiring a lawyer to handle the case seems like rational behavior maybe we should be asking ourselves about the alternatives.
Teenage unemployment is huge and retraining programs are inadequate related to the need in many areas of the country. And the debt ceiling looms while the government decides what is essential and everyone will get back pay so who gives a crap until October 17th when things could get really ugly and makes this all look like small, small potatoes.
Yesterday, I listened to a Senate Hearing regarding fraud in the program and it is clear that there are some bad actors in the program. The Conn Law Firm with offices in throughout the country was the star yesterday with several former employees testifying about bad behavior at their West Virginia Office. I have to give credit to the staff for selecting the firm "Con Law". The irony would be funny if it weren't really sad.
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