Periodically it is important to remember certain facts about the Social Security disability process because so many myths are spread all the time. Two things everyone should know are that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is an earned program, which means if you have not worked long enough or more recent enough, you will not qualify for it no matter what health problems you suffer from and that Social Security has strict medical requirements to qualify for benefits. Anyone who disputes this does not have all the facts. Below are some more facts from Social Security about the disability program to help combat the false narratives that are spread about the program.
Disability is unpredictable and can happen to anyone at any age
Disability is something many Americans, especially younger people, think can only affect the lives of other people. Tragically, thousands of young people are seriously injured or killed, often as the result of traumatic events. Many serious medical conditions, such as cancer or mental illness, can affect the young as well as the elderly. The sobering fact for 20-year-olds is that more than 1-in-4 of them becomes disabled before reaching retirement age. As a result, they may need to rely on the Social Security disability benefits for income support. Our disability benefits provide a critical source of financial support to people when they need it most.
Social Security payments are modest
At the beginning of 2019, Social Security paid an average monthly disability benefit of about $1,234 to all disabled workers. That is barely enough to keep a beneficiary above the 2018 poverty level ($12,140 annually). For many beneficiaries, their monthly disability payment represents most of their income. Even these modest payments can make a huge difference in the lives of people who can no longer work. They allow people to meet their basic needs and the needs of their families.
Social Security works to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud
In recent years Social Security has stepped up its efforts to make sure only eligible people are receiving benefits and cases of fraud are found in less than half a percent of all claims.
Social Security, along with the Office of the Inspector General, identifies and aggressively prosecutes those who commit fraud. Our zero tolerance approach has resulted in a fraud incidence rate that is a fraction of one percent.
One of our most effective measures to guard against fraud is the Cooperative Disability Investigations program. Under the program, we investigate suspicious disability claims early, before making a decision to award benefits. In effect, we proactively stop fraud before it happens. In fiscal year 2018, with the help of state and local law enforcement, the program reported nearly $188.5 million in projected savings to the disability programs. This resulted in a return on investment of $17 for each $1 spent.
Because no one can predict injury or being diagnosed with a condition that becomes a disabiling there have been many opponents of the program that have later relied on the program to survive, so be careful about who you judge when it comes to Social Security disability.
