Opponents of the Social Security Disability program will often critique the alleged fraud within the system and the heavy financial burden it places on the national economy. While the administration of the program is a large expenditure, and a few may take advantage of the system, a look at how the Social Security program in the United States compares with those of other countries may just surprise you.
According to Center for American Progress (Americanprogress.org) which cited to statistics provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Social Security Disability Insurance program in the United States has one of the strictest eligibility criteria. For example, in determining whether an individual is disabled, the Social Security Administration not only considers whether the applicant is able to do any past work, it also looks to see if there are other jobs the applicant can perform despite his/her impairments. Additionally, only 6% of the working-age U.S. population is receiving Disability Insurance Benefits. This number is very close to the OECD worldwide average of 5.9%. The United States is by no means an outlier. Also, United States also spends very little of its gross domestic product (GDP) on Social Security Disability Insurance. In 2009, only 0.8% of the GDP was spent on the program. This places the United States in the bottom of the list at 27th place out of 34 OECD members. In that same year, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway spent 2.4%, 2%, and 2.6% respectively of their GDP on similar programs. Thus, despite what critics may say, we should be aware of these statistics and keep an open mind when it comes to our Social Security Disability program.
For more detailed information on how American Social Security program compares to those of other nations please visit: Americanprogress.org
