Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the latest presidential candidate to offer a Social Security plan, and this plan specifically targets the disability program as part of a broader effort to improve the lives of people suffering from disabilities.
Buttigieg recently released a paper on his website titled “Dignity, Access, and Belonging: A New Era of Inclusion for People with Disabilities.” It seems Buttigieg’s campaign team did some extensive research of the subject as it sought input from disability experts in releasing what is the most comprehensive disability plan provided by a presidential candidate so far. Below are the specifics Buttigieg outlined dealing with Social Security disability.
- Eliminate the “benefit cliff” for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) so benefits gradually phase out until recipients reach nearly $45,000 in annual earnings.
- Eliminate SSDI’s ineffective current work incentives.
- Reduce excessive wait times for SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) appeals cases.
- Enable SSDI participants to start receiving income benefits as soon as they are admitted to the program.
- Eliminate SSDI’s 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage.
- Update critical SSI thresholds to allow people to receive greater assistance as costs of living rise.
The comprehensive plan does not just deal with Social Security benefits, but also education, transportation, voting rights, housing and health care are addressed in the plan.
The Harris Plan
Buttigieg is not the first presidential candidate to get specific about a disability plan, Sen. Kamala Harris announced her plan in August of 2019. Harris claimed to be the first candidate to offer a disability plan, although other candidates have released Social Security plans that also deal with Social Security disability benefits.
The Harris plan focuses on making “Medicare for All,” a priority that would cover long-term, in-home services and early screenings for people with disabilities, according to a report from Reuters. A press release announcing the plan, said that Harris would also focus on other departments that deal with disability issues including education, transportation and housing.
“As president, Harris will expand access to health care, fight for integrated employment opportunities and fair wages, ensure our emergency preparedness and disaster programs are fully inclusive, fight to adequately fund classrooms to ensure equal access, build a diverse federal workforce that includes people with disabilities and fight for civil rights of people with disabilities across the country,” a press release from the Harris campaign said.
The Topic Of Disability
Disability rights and benefits impact a huge block of voters, so it makes sense that candidates are speaking-up about their plans for improving the lives of people with disabilities. According to a recent survey conducted by RespectAbility, a Washington-based nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides commentary on disability issues, 74 percent of likely voters either suffer from a disability or know a friend or family member that does. More than 56 million Americans live with some form of disability and the study showed that more than half of the people with disabilities surveyed have reached out to their elected officials or attended a political rally compared to just 39 percent of people without disabilities who have done the same. Considering that nearly three-fourths of likely voters are impacted by disability policy in some way, it is not surprising that more presidential candidates are addressing the issue, and there will likely be more to come.
