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)

Comments

  1. Aleeza H.

    I am receiving California State Disability benefits and had no 2019 income..I filed my 2018 tax return but I am a dependent on my parents tax return. Even though I am a dependent on my parents tax return I read something on IRS COVID19 website that I would be eligible to receive $1200 Covid19 benefit since I am receiving State disability benefits. Is my understanding accurate? If so can anyone tell me how to request $1200 Covid19 benefit? Thank you for any feedback.

    • Vonda V.

      Hi Aleeza, thank you for your question. Please visit the IRS Economic Impact Payments Information Center to answer your questions about eligibility, payment amounts, what to expect, when to expect it and more. Hope this helps!

  2. Lucia C.

    I would like to know if anyone out there is receiving Social Security Disability Benefits and has been for more than 5 years (since 2013 actually for me) JUST RECEIVED their April 2020 monthly benefit check (mine is direct deposit) and the amount of the deposit is different than last month and is less than the amount on my benefit statement for 2020 which I have received since January 2020? AND the amount is strange? It is $288.60 short, yes, less than it has been since January when I started receiving my newest benefit amount. My new statement, after my $14 cost of living raise from last year, said I am supposed to get a certain amount and I have received that amount correctly deposited into my account starting in January 2020. WHO? shorted my approved amount? AND WHY? AND… WHY isn’t the amount an even amount? What’s up with the change ($.60)??? All of the amounts I have received since I started receiving benefits have been rounded down to an even dollar amount. Has anyone else received a different benefit amount for April this month? The amount my deposit was shorted is more than enough to cover my rent that I have to pay after HUD pays their assistance. I don’t have a clue why this has changed. Can anyone out there explain this to me?
    Thx,
    Where’s the rest of my money?
    in Macon, GA

  3. Linda B.

    Clfste..please inform me where you found the language of “retardism”? That is a very harsh statement to make and a basically a hate remark. Thatd like telling me someone they speak blackiam, if they are all black. People wiith mental disabilities are Americans and speak English. They may not speak it well if they have mental disabilities, which may mean they cannot learn to speak at their age level. But who would teach this retardism, tell me, are any of you a teacher of this? Are there classes to teach this? What a discriminatory remark and I think anyone we ith a mentally disabled child or family member would l all agree…Linda Sue( sorry my cell keyboarrd sucks)

  4. Floresteen M.

    Hi I am really saddened by the responses because reading them is so correct at the same time I will have to see a change.People always say they want to here your thoughts and concerns and yet do as they please. I have been diagnosed with cancer and have had cancer surgery August 22:2018,I have had a urostomy over 20 years, I am getting ready to go for spine surgery April 15-2020 and I get 945.00 a month to live on. I was born here.Does it matters to them?No.They are worried about who can speak a dam language.

  5. XYZ

    Is there is a web site that says you are under an investigation base on complain by someone. I want complainer that they disclose all their info. Otherwise Social Security faces a law suite and for wrong complain the social security and recipient can sue the complainer.

  6. scott M.

    are we going to get are servant payment

  7. Robert l.

    ROBERT LOPEZ lores are you aware that one fourth or 8 eight states were once mexican states that we got adter mexico surrendered after the mexican american war.

    that one condition of the surrender was that mexicans would be allowed to enter those states without a restriction.

  8. Theresa

    I know people or a family from Nicaragua the mom, dad, grandma can’t speak a word of English they have been in the states for 20 years the mom is considered a resident and she get ssi ,she’s hasn’t bothered to learn how to speak English or become a citizen.Im an American and I been fighting for 3 yrs and 7 mo. I just three days ago got a fully favorable decision. In June of 2016 I broke both of my heels and fractured my hip and my tailbone and in April of 2017 I had an aortic aneurysm , I died at one hospital. They brought me back and bay flight end me to Tampa. Things need to change, I’m tired,broke and just need some help.

  9. Yvette B.

    If I’m on ssi will I receive a stimulus CHECK

  10. RAYMONN F.

    THIS IS OLD HAT (FOX NEWS LIES) STUFF THAT ONLY ILLEGALS GET EVERYTHING AND THIS ARGUMENT HAPPENS IN OTHER COUNTRYS TOO
    AMERICANS GET FIRST BITE AT WHATS AVAILABLE
    NOT LAST BITE SOME PEOPLE QUALIFY SOME DONT IF YOU DONT MAKE FIRST TIME KEEP TRYING
    ENGLISH IS ONLY A REASON IN MY OPION IF WHERE TALKING ABOUT SPEECH DISABILITY
    A NON SPEAKING ENGLISH PERSON SHOULD ONLY GET IF HE DESERVES LIKE AND AN ENGLISH SPEAKING ONE
    IF YOU WORKED U SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH CHANCE AS ANYONE

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