Does Disability Have a Face?
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: May 18, 2015
Does the word ‘disability’ conjure up an image in your mind?
For me, it’s the image of John.
His disability benefits have been a lifeline to John and his family.
John is a beneficiary I met while touring one of our field offices several years ago. His story is familiar — a man working hard to support his family — until he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
He continued to work until his condition no longer allowed him to. After open heart surgery, John was unable to go back to work. He told me that washing his hair or going up a flight of stairs left him out of breath and with a heart that threatened to pound out of his chest. To keep a heartrate normal, he took several medications twice a day — medications he couldn’t afford if he didn’t qualify for Social Security disability.
His disability benefits have been a lifeline to John and his family.
Like John, 34 million other Americans live with severe, disabling conditions that cause them to be unable to work. I’m sure you’ve heard stories and speculations about the disability program and the people who benefit from it. Some people think Social Security is a handout and that those who receive benefits are milking the system.
In reality, Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) is coverage that workers earn. John worked for more than 25 years before applying for disability. When he needed help, Social Security — the system he paid into his whole adult life — was there for him.
This is what Social Security does —provides some measure of protection for workers and their families from the loss of income because of disability. Our agency touches the lives of nearly every American, often during times of personal hardship, transition, and uncertainty. But there are misconceptions about how it works.
With this in mind, Social Security created our Faces and Facts of Disability website. Through this website, we share stories of people receiving disability benefits, while disproving the myths about the SSDI program. Through literature, videos, and personal testimony, the site offers an inside view into the heart of what we do.
We want to tell you the story of Larry, who lives with congenital heart failure. He is able to work only part-time and hopes to one day get better and work full time. You can also meet Kira, a remarkable young woman who says that without Social Security benefits, she wouldn’t be able to support herself and be independent.
Christine’s story is another. She lives with Guillain-Barré syndrome — a crippling disorder. She tells us: “Although my condition limits movement and confines me to a wheelchair, receiving disability benefits remove a number of roadblocks from my life.”
You will find more stories on our Faces and Facts of Disability website. We invite you to come see the faces and learn the facts.
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Tags: Disability
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Candida
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Melisa
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Sam
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Bernadette S.
Ok, I know a lady who live in Haiti and every six months, she come to Boston pretend to be sick and never work in this country. She gets medicare A&B food stamps and get check deposited on her account. That same lady have a hotel in HAITI AND IS RENTING PLACES TO OTHER RICH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES. HOW THE HECK SHE CAN BE BE A MILLIONAIRE IN HAITI AND COLLECTED DISABILITY CHECK WHEN SHE NEVER WORK IN THIS COUNTRY? That make me sick, because I have been here for 47 years and always work, now I am retired and collecting SSC and a little pension and can hardly get money to pay mortgage. This lady is stealing money from people in this country who really need help and is having a hard time getting it. DO SOMETHING ABOUT it. not too many HAITIAN people on disability are really sick, trust me. don’t trust putting my name in this spot.
..
Bernadette, you can report suspected fraud online to our Office of the Inspector General, where reporting is easy, safe and secure. You can remain anonymous, but keep in mind that your decision for anonymity may limit our ability to conduct a complete investigation.
Kevin R.
Harrumph harrumph
I witnessed an illegal alien receive cash money from social services and then went outside and received a free government paid Cell Phone, I was in disbelief for months and it finally set in how shitty this country is I’m sick of it I want to move the freaking Canada before I kill myself…
Kaycee
Also ich werde nächste Woche in den USA sein und hoffentlich eines mitbringen können.Und ich weiss schon was ich noch installieren werde, wenn es das schon gibt, eine Adsense App ;)Und natürlich Fidenrulners, das darf auf keinen Fall fehlen..
Howard g.
Will you reply with appointment
Howard g.
Rentry number 23916323. Cancer reconstruction of nose and face can’t breath kemo did eye damange Might need prostedic nose worked out 15 years farmer the rest I’m 61 doctor says shoundt work
danielmary
We get all this exciting information coming to the people
but no way to email or contact those who can help.
Please advise how to get help by the people.
Thank you
jose
As i read all this storys i have to share mine.I worked all my live and contribute to social security for more than 45 years.I had to retired early because of lower back pain due to the fact that i was a bus operator for 28 years.,Among other problems that i have which are about 10 dissability conditions.not to name.
I been waiting for over two years and nothing,I figure out this is the way they treat people that had contribute all their lives..And yes they give people from other countries that had never worked SSI..This is where they are drainnig the system.
samuel r.
Update , I finally got through and spoke to a real person about my claim that I filled 6 months ago , they told me they had actually made a decision on my claim but it was selected for quality assurance review and they have 60 days to review the decision that they made. So while I wait unable to support myself and get harassed by bill collectors and my credit gets ruined I wait for something I paid into with the promise it would be there for me if I became disabled. There is something seriously wrong with this system. I was also unable to create an online account and told it was because of my credit report. It is truly sad the way our public servants whom are paid by our hard earned taxes treat the disabled .
F.Becker
Don’t blame the underpaid, overworked public servants. Blame Congress. Congress mandated that 50% of all allowed disability claims must undergo a quality review (do a web search of PER or pre-effectuation review). That’s a huge workload for the QA team, and I’m convinced it is way more than necessary to ensure quality. (Most factories do QA on much smaller percentages). Maybe if Congress would let them do fewer allowance reviews and more disallowance reviews, there would be smaller hearing backlogs too.
..
Samuel, disability claims are randomly selected for a quality assurance review of the decision. We need to be sure that every decision we make about a Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claim is correct. We certainly understand your frustration, and apologize for the inconveniences that you are experiencing. You will be notified in writing once a final decision is made on your claim.
People applying for disability benefits may be eligible to receive social services from the state in which they live. These services include Medicaid, free meals, housekeeping help, transportation or help with other problems. You can get information about services in your area from your state or local social services or welfare office.
We are sorry you are having difficulty with your personal my Social Security account. For assistance in creating an account, please call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” please say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account.
samuel r.
Thank you for your kind words please understand I don’t mean to insult the hard working dedicated people who work for the SSA I know the workloads are horrible and the you guys rarely get a thank you. Please allow me to say thank you for allowing me to whine and make comments . it has made me feel better to get it off my chest while I wait for the process to work. I’m sure there are people worse health is much worse than mine (terminally ill etc.) I’m not used to being shut up in the house in the house and for many years my work was all I had to look forward to. Thank you again for your helpful information and taking time to respond.
Tory
Reading posts like this make surfing such a plesaure
Rock
A simple and inileltgent point, well made. Thanks!
Kevin R.
Oh you haven’t experienced any hardship yet. Just wait in till your work credits expire….
Do you want to hang yourself? Smash your head to a plate glass window ?
• oh what a joyful Day that was!
– when I learned that my work credits had expired because of the extremely long drawn out periods of indecisiveness of this corrupt BS system
Dan
I am going on 2 years myself, with nothing 0 income I find it hard to swallow how simple for some with far less disabling conditions while I starve and loose everything
Liberty
I’ve worked over 30 years and contributed over $30,000. I’m disabled but have been denied. The process is a joke and I wouldn’t even apply again, which is what they’re hoping I’m sure but my counselor said to and she will give me extra sessions to deal with the stress of applying. Can you imagine? I need extra therapy to deal with the nonsense of applying. That’s just appalling!
Tony S.
Ask not who has a qualifying disability, but who must go to prison for up to 12 months for deprivation of relief benefits if disability benefits are cut to 80% as threatened by the Actuary, Commissioner and Treasurer in 2016. The answer to the pain in the OASDI tax rate calculation, that I got wrong twice before taking a week and getting it right, = 2.3% DI and 10.1% OASI until 2018 when it shifts to 2.2% DI and 10.2% OASI for the medium term. This would not cost taxpayers anything. To avoid the OASDI deficit in 2020 it is necessary to tax the rich by eliminating the limit on taxable income. An OASDI Without Income Limit Law (WILL) would increase OASDI revenues by 30%, x 1`.3, by taxing the richest. This is so much money SSA would have to be held responsible for SSI program costs from the General Fund. Revenues in excess of OASDI and SSI program costs, would be shared to reduce or eliminate the federal budget deficit.