New Rule Modernizes How We Award Disability Benefits
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: February 24, 2020
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.
Did you find this Information helpful?
About the Author
Andrew Saul, Commissioner, Social Security Administration
Commissioner of Social Security Administration (June 17, 2019 - July 9, 2021)
Comments
Comments are closed.
Neal
this is no more than a way to reduce or eliminate disability for those that can’t work due to a life threatening illness in 2008. maybe we can get trump out and all his appointments out ASAP
Rebecca M.
What exactly does that even mean? If you have too much education, you don’t qualify or if you have too little you don’t? If you can’t speak English you don’t qualify or you do? Seemed pretty vague to me.
Rebecca
Unfortunately they don’t consider fibromyalgia a disabling condition, because they are having some argument that fibro is caused by other mental defects and may be a product of them. http://www.ssdrc.com
Tammie
Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on here, a minute. Am I just reading this article wrong? Because I know I’m not stupid. But, since when does not speaking English become a medical condition ??♀️? Huh? Someone please explain…?
Thank you.
Kimby
They are parading the language thing bc its a no-brainer reform. Unfortunately. Piggybacking on this same reform will take disabilities away from many, many other people. You have to read all the changes in their entirety. This is a backdoor route to kick people off disability masquerading as a cut to obvious loopholes that no one is actually taking advantage of. People arent getting disability for being english illiterate. That’s silly.
Kimby
Really? You PERSONALLY know people? “Some tell you?” What “some?” Other people who are also not on disability?
My doctors, of many years, had their recommendations weighed equally against college professors who never met me. The doctor that social security chose to evaluate me… Their recommendation of a disability ruling were completely dismissed.
You can’t just get a recommendation. SSDI isn’t that easily acquired. On top of that, a condition of my favorable ssdi ruling was that i gave up any back-owed benefits as well as medicaid. They really. Truly. Dont just give these benefits away.
Liane B.
This is just more cruelty foisted on the American people by an uncaring administration. Calling it “modernizing” doesn’t fool anyone. Why haven’t you updated your COLA guidelines instead?
Kimby
Right?!?
Goldia W.
This is way pass due. I know some who get this and they r healthy as I am. Some tell me a Dr. will easily put u on disability.
Laura
Thank you Joe. I understood it better when you explained it. That puts many mind at ease as this won’t affect me one way or the other. Whew!
Smiley
Thank you Joe. I understood it better when you explained it. That puts many mind at ease as this won’t affect me one way or the other. Whew!
Renee
SSDI Title 16 means you did not have enough quarters of work to qualify for SSDI Title 2 which is for people who worked enough in a 15 year period and were insured. Title 16 does not mean you never worked just that you did not work enough. People need to realize it is extremely hard to get it. You have to prove you are unable to do any I mean Any job in USA. They look at education work history ADLs and medical records if it is concluded they will request a CE exam to determine your disability or lack of disability. Age is also a factor around 52-55. Now the are figuring in whether you speak English or not will make for even more denials.