A Republican congressman from Indiana introduced a bill this week that would further scrutinize disability claimants who apply for and receive Social Security disability benefits.
Todd Rokita, R-Indiana, introduced the “Making Disability Insurance Work for All Americans Act” to reform Social Security’s disability program. Unfortunately the name of the bill is far more appealing than what reforms are in the bill.
The bill would penalize new beneficiaries with a flat monthly benefit and increase the frequency of continuing disability reviews to determine if a beneficiary remains disabled. Currently disability beneficiaries receive payments based on what they earned while working, but this bill would reduce benefits for many people. Additionally, increasing the frequency of continuing disability reviews would likely cost more in operating funds and Social Security already recommends reviews every few years to determine if a beneficiary remains disabled.
“I am calling on Congress to pass this legislation to support those who truly need help transitioning back into the workforce so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families, Rokita said, according to a story published by a local Indiana radio station. “The revival of this program ensures protection of our social security and the lives dependent on it. I will continue fighting for bills like this one that support American families without adding debt to our future generations.”
As you might expect, Rokita has a conservative voting record during his time in Congress and has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump.
Major changes to Social Security’s disability program are unlikely to be made in an election year, so it is a bit unclear how much support Rokita will receive on this bill. In addition to a reduction of benefits and increased disability reviews, Rokita’s bill also calls for changes to how attorneys receive fees in disability cases. Currently the agency sets a cap on the amount an attorney can charge, but Rokita wants applicants to be able to negotiate with attorneys about fees.
