Disability

New Rule Modernizes How We Award Disability Benefits

February 24, 2020 • By

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Last Updated: February 24, 2020

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The Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society. A successful disability program must evolve and support making the right decision as early in the process as possible. To help us do that, we must modernize the rules and standards we use to evaluate how we determine disability benefits. We are moving forward with a rule change that has been in the works for a number of years and serves to update a more than 40-year-old policy that made the inability to communicate in English a factor in awarding disability benefits. The new rule is effective April 27, 2020.

We are required to consider education to determine if your medical condition prevents work. In 2015, our Inspector General recommended that we evaluate the appropriateness of this policy. Research now shows the inability to communicate in English is no longer a good measure of a person’s education level or the ability to engage in work. The new rule also supports the Administration’s longstanding focus of recognizing that individuals with disabilities can remain in the workforce.

To make the right disability decisions, Social Security disability rules must continue to reflect current medicine and evolution of work. We need to update our rules to keep up with society’s changes.

We owe it to the American public to ensure that our disability programs continue to reflect the realities of the modern workplace. Please share this information with your family and friends.

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About the Author

Andrew Saul, Commissioner, Social Security Administration

Commissioner of Social Security Administration (June 17, 2019 - July 9, 2021)

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Comments

  1. Thomas R.

    Too many people are getting these benefits and can work and do more than I can do. Something needs to be done to solve this problem.

  2. Curt

    The entire process is broken.
    I’ve been disabled since 2017. And said. Just drags their feet. Why can refugees walk into this country and get benefits. M?
    But a citizen who has paid into this system my whole working life. Social security will try to wait us out. Until we finally just give up.

  3. Joe s.

    How come young capable adults are on disability for anxiety and things that we all suffer from…too many young healthy adults on disability while older people who worked all their lives get denied .

  4. Tired o.

    It’s about time. There are alot of people who get this check with no disability. And others who get it on behalf of children yet sees it as income for themselves and dont provide adequate for said kids.

  5. Jedi

    It is all well and good that Social Security update their rules. It is true that adaptive equipment is now inexpensive. The real barrier to a critical mass of disable people being employed or employers who Are unwilling to offer opportunities.

  6. John V.

    Why is it that people’s on Disability insurance got list money then those who retire on SSA I work for 47 years and get lest money then others people’s on SSA

  7. Verna D.

    My name is verna Denson.i live in McMinnville TN I was wondering how come we don’t have choices that we can’t change our plane when our doctor change insurance because.thw Doctor we had changed and no longer takes America group.im trying to change us to blue care.they denied us untill may it’s a doctor we trust.

  8. Rhonda M.

    I think something should be done for sure I’ve been fighting my disability 2012 they used the wrong memes in makeing their decision , this was on my denial, That I have a Drivers license, or I can fix myself a TV dinner !! Really. One thing for sure is it’s not right that they get to decide if and when we get the money when it’s our money that we work for and paid into Social Security & we should get our money when we need it we shouldn’t have to go through having to deal with our Mental, Physical Health Issues and plus the Financial part of it wether were going to starve or have a place to live. It’s just not right that’s why we payed into Social Security plus if you don’t you can go to prison What’s wrong with this picture!!!! Its my money I worked for it and now that I can’t work I know if I can work or not no stranger knows .We deserve our money that we worked for when we need it..

  9. Wesley E.

    Sounds like a Trump administration effort to reduce support for those who need help.

  10. John V.

    My wife has suffered with complex PTSD for over 2 decades yes she can get a job and work that job for a few months until her condition takes over and she hides in the bathroom or a room where she trays to deal with the panic attacks that literally shuts her completely down including self mutilation and suicidal tendencies it breaks my heart I’ve tried to win her ssi benefits more then once but denied you can easily see from her past medical records she’s suffered for 20 plus years and her work history is 3 inches thick of trying to work but can’t hold a steady job longer then 2- 3 months at the longest the determination process should include looking at the amount of jobs from the past along with the longevity of the condition and clearly see how it has affected her ability to support her and her 5 children

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