Disability and the Social Security Debate

Disability and the Social Security Debate - Information Bulletin 83, 3/05

A few weeks ago, we tried to raise the issue of what would happen to persons with disabilities who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits with the proposed Social Security changes being floated around.. See "Social Security Debate and PWD"Information Bulletin #77 at www.stevegoldada.com, on 1/20/05.
   
We reminded folks that there are three different beneficiary groups that make up the Social Security Insurance program - persons who are retired, persons who are survivors of workers who deceased, and persons who are disabled.  We asked how changing the retirement insurance program would affect the disability insurance program.

Nationally, there are 7.6 million persons who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (this includes spouses and children of disabled workers); they are 16% of the entire Social Security program.

We recently found the Economic Policy Institute's web site www.epinet.org social security that broke down the 7.6 million by States.  It is important for disability advocates to be aware of how many people in your State who will be affected by the various proposed Congressional changes.

What will happen to these 7.6 million persons with disabilities?  Where is the "Beneficiary Impact Statement" analyzing how the proposed changes will impact on these 7.6 million persons?

Here is a breakdown by State.  The first number is the total number of people in your State who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.  The second number is the percentage of Social Security beneficiaries who receive Disability Insurance benefits.

Nationwide: 7.6 million receive SSDI and they comprise 16% of ALL Social Security beneficiaries.

Alabama has 196,077 people who receive SSDI; they are 23% of ALL Social Security beneficiaries in the state;

Alaska has 11,529 people who receive SSDI;  they are 19% of ALL Social Security beneficiaries in the state;

Arizona - 136,623; 16%;

Arkansas -   119,173; 22%;  

California  - 637,612; 15%;

Colorado - 88,834; 15%;  

Connecticut - 77,700;13%;  

Delaware - 22,832; 16%; 

D.C. - 10,492;15%;   

Florida - 459,679; 14%;

Georgia - 232,384;20%; 

Hawaii - 21,536; 11%;

Idaho -33,303; 16%;

Illinois - 260,919; 14%;

Indiana -165,512; 16%; 

Iowa  - 68,755; 13%;

Kansas - 61,031; 14%;

Kentucky -191,194; 25%; 

Louisiana - 143,414; 20%;

Maine - 54,806;21%; 

Maryland -101,754; 14%; 

Massachus -180,296; 17%; 

Michigan -281,690;17%;

Minnesota -101,681; 13%;
 
Mississippi - 131,789; 25%; 

Missouri - 185,308;18%; 

Montana - 24,208; 15%;

Nebraska 38,358;13%; 

Nevada -50,488;15%;

New Hampshire -37,390;18%; 

New Jersey - 180,976;13%;

New Mexico -50,054; 17%;

New York - 483,959; 16%; 

North Carolina - 285,915;20%;

North Dakota -12,652; 11%; 

Ohio - 278,951;14%;

Oklahoma - 99,753;16%; 

Oregon -83,439;14%;

Pennsylvania - 336,062; 14%; 

Rhode Island -33,864;18%; 

South Carolina - 151,828;21%; 

South Dakota -17,020;12%;

Tennessee - 210,619;20%; 

Texas - 425,510; 15%;

Utah -34,359; 13%; 

Vermont -18,419;17%; 

Virginia -191,526;18%;

Washington -134,988;15%; 

West Virginia -94,928; 23%;

Wisconsin -152,182;13%: 

Wyoming -10,923;14%.             

At the least, disability advocates should ask their Senators and Congressional representatives how any proposed change will affect those people in your State who receive SSDI.  Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.  To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com   

--
Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

An Economic Perspective Re Disability and Social Security

An Economic Perspective Re Disability and Social Security - Information Bulletin #84, 3/05

In the previous Information Bulletin (#83) we broke down by State the 7.6 million persons who receive Social Security Disability Insurance {SSDI] benefits.  In Information Bulletin #77, we posed concerns about how the administration's proposal would impact on persons with disabilities.

Prof. Alan Krueger's Economic Scene column in the New York Times business section is entitled "The disability insurance side of Social Security raises some questions about plans to create personal accounts." Page C-2, 3/3/05.  Prof.  Krueger puts substance on the potential problems that the 7.6 million disabled persons will confront.

He argues that "fitting the existing [SSDI] program into a system of personal accounts could have serious unintended consequences."  Here are the two "major problems" he identifies.

First, presently, disabled workers transfer from SSDI to SS retirement benefits (the same monthly benefits in both programs) when they reach 65. However, under the administration's proposal, "most disabled workers would not have accumulated much wealth in their personal accounts because they would have had a shorter work life than other retirees.  Their benefits would drop sharply at age 65 and, in many cases, their incomes would fall below the poverty line."

Second, "leaving disability insurance alone abdicates responsibility for fixing its financial difficulties, which are much more imminent than the retirement program's financial problems."  He points out that "integrating the disability program into a system of personal accounts is complicated because it is inherently an insurance program.  Disabled beneficiaries take out far more from the system than they put in.  Works collectively insure the risk of disability.  It is inconceivable that person accounts could fulfill this role."

As disability advocates, you should be asking your federally elected officials for answers to these two problems.  There are 7.6 million disabled persons who need answers.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. 
To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com 

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at
http://www.stevegoldada.com

===============================
Comments and news of interest are always welcome.  Please feel free to use or disseminate the information in these newsletters however you want and while DAC likes to be recognized, do so only if you wish.  To subscribe or unsubscribe just hit reply with your wish.  Thank you.

Keith Kessler - Founder of DAC (disabled Action committee)
14405 Artery Ln#11
Dale City, VA 22193
703-878-1737
Email: DAC4VA@aol.com

Website:  http://members.aol.com/DAC4VA/main.htm

Back to 2004 Archive

Back to What's New

Back to Home