How many times do you turn on the TV news and see a report of a senseless shooting or murder where nearby residents of the neighborhood always seem to say “I didn’t think that could happen in a place like this?” A lot of people have a similar opinion about their chances of becoming disabled.
People who are disabled and unable to work know all too well the difficulties involved with trying to obtain Social Security disability. Some common complaints are the wait time (many disability cases take up to two years before a final decision is made), the rate of denial (Social Security rejects the majority of initial applications it receives) and surviving financial until the case is complete.
Those who go through the process know the frustration all too well, but why would a healthy worker waste a second thinking about Social Security disability? The answer is simple – because anyone could end up being disabled.
A healthy 20-year old has a 25 percent chance of becoming disabled during their working career according to the Council for Disability Awareness.
The healthy worker does not believe he or she has that high of a risk of becoming disabled. Most working Americans believe their own chance of experiencing a long-term disability is substantially lower than the average worker, reinforcing the belief that “it could never happen to me.” Well, it can and it does.
Obviously it is difficult to prevent an unforeseen accident at work that may lead to a disability, but even if that happens worker’s compensation benefits can protect the worker. Unfortunately most Social Security disability claims are not related to a work accident.
According to the CDA’s Long-Term Disability Claims Review the leading causes of new disability claims are:
- Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (27.5 percent)
- Cancer (14.6 percent)
- Injuries and poisoning (10.3 percent)
- Cardiovascular and circulatory disorders (9.1 percent)
- Mental disorder (9.1 percent)
For more information about the CDA’s findings click here.
