Fraudulent claims of disability have led to some cynical views of social welfare programs. Politicians frequently complain about individuals they say abuse the system. If the commonness of their remarks were reflective of reality one would be forgiven for assuming that the majority of those claiming disability are lazy malingerers looking to abuse the overly-generous nature of our social support system. In actual fact, there is significant evidence that this view couldn't be farther from the truth.
The Studies
A panel of experts, after a three-year review of the U.S. disability policy, concluded in January 1996 that people with disabilities would like to remain employed and do not typically exaggerate their impairments to get benefits. They even stay on the job months or years after health problems begin and turn to Social Security disability insurance only as a last resort. These benefits, averaging about $633 a month, usually equal less than half the worker's salary before the impairment.
The 18-member, nonpartisan panel conducted the study at the request of the House Ways and Means Committee. It made several recommendations for new programs, including vouchers for private sector employers to help people work and tax credits for disabled people. It also recommended making it possible for working disabled people to buy into Medicare and to modify states' Medicaid programs so the people do not lose their health insurance when they go back to work.
More recently, in October, a report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) urged the Social Security Administration (SSA) to increase its efforts to get disabled people back to work. A spokesperson for the SSA agreed that the agency could do more. The GAO report noted that more businesses have begun efforts to help people with disabilities remain employed. Some 6.6 million working-age people were receiving Social Security disability benefits in 1995, and if just 1% returned to work, the nation could save $3 billion, the report said.
Getting Back to Work
Cooperation and creativity between claimants, claims specialists and governement and private agencies is the key to help the disabled worker return to work. Some real-life examples of how the system can work are illustrated in the following examples:
- A former typist, who wanted to continue to type but could no longer see, recieved a special typewriter for the blind.
- A diabled person, who changed his hobby into a business, received a van equipped to handle his wheelchair, gaining necessary mobility.
- An accountant with severe burns who could not function independently nor return to his job, was provided with a personal computer, software and some living expenses to get him started in his own business at home, with his wife delivering the contracts and other materials to the customers. Within one year, he was earning more than before his injury.
People want to stay on the job, and with help and ingenuity many now do. The moral and economic incentives are well-established and should provide the motivation for employers and legislators to work together to make this happen.