On October 6, 2013, news show “60 Minutes” ran a segment called “Disability USA” covering the Social Security Disability program. Unfortunately, this segment provided misinformation regarding how the Social Security Administration (SSA) actually processes disability claims.
An article released on October 16, 2013, on ThinkProgress.org provides important information on how the program actually works. Here are some facts the article uses to provide correct information.
- Fact one of this article states that the United States’ disability standards are among the toughest of all OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ) member countries except Korea.
- Fact two, the SSA disability process is fairly efficient and experiences little fraud. It is estimated that fraud amounts to less than one percent of the disability programs’ payouts.
- Facts three and four cover why there has been an increase in applicants and beneficiaries of disability benefits. Growth can be attributed to changing demographics; our work force is aging and more women are working . Also, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities office states that recent growth in applicants and beneficiaries due to the recession is only about five percent.
More examples and more detailed information can be found in the article. To view the full article on ThinkProgress.org click here.
