In the past few days, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a big change in the disability benefits program to help more people qualify. Some people think this change is unfair. Starting Monday, the way the SSA decides if someone can get disability benefits will change.
They will look at whether a person can do another job based on their skills, which might make it harder for some to get benefits. If you want to apply for disability benefits, you should learn how this change could help you get monthly benefits.
A Big Change from Social Security in Its Disability Benefits Program
The SSA uses a job database to see if a person can work. This database was last updated in 1977 and includes many outdated jobs, which some people think is unfair. The SSA said they will remove old jobs like train telegraphers, watch repairers, and reptile farmers from the database.
This change happened after the Washington Post reported about a disabled person who was denied benefits because the judge said he could work as an egg processor or nut sorter, which are jobs that no longer exist.
Many people, especially disabled Americans, are happy about this change because they felt the system wasn’t helping them. But some believe that while this change might help many people, it won’t fix all the problems caused by the old system. The SSA plans to adopt this change soon, giving new applicants a better chance to qualify for disability benefits.
Will This Change Only Apply to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
No, the change will also affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI helps people who can’t work due to a medical condition that will last at least a year or cause death. SSI helps low-income, disabled people. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that both Social Security and Veterans Affairs (DVA) disability programs are high risk. This means they are prone to fraud, waste, and misuse, or need reform to work better.
A GAO review in April showed that both programs use old rules to decide if people can get benefits. Anansi Wilson, a law professor, said more work is needed, especially for disabled people of color who are more likely to be denied benefits. We hope the thousands of people in court will get help soon.
Social Security Will Drop More Than 100 Jobs from Its Database
The SSA announced it will remove 114 different job categories from its database, which has over 12,000 job types. SSA adjudicators can no longer use these jobs to say a person is “not disabled.” Here are some of the jobs being removed:
- Canary breeder
- Character impersonator
- Directory assistance operator
- Historian of the dramatic arts
- Motion-picture projectionist
- News wire-photo operator
- Radiotelegraph operator
- Reptile farmer
- Watch repairer
This major change in the Social Security disability benefits program is expected to help many people get the support they need. By removing outdated job categories from the evaluation process, the SSA aims to make it fairer for disabled individuals to qualify for benefits.
However, while this is a step in the right direction, there is still much work to be done to address the broader issues in the system. The changes will not only apply to SSDI but also to SSI, impacting many people who rely on these benefits.
FAQs
1. What is the major change announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding disability benefits?
The SSA announced that they are updating their disability benefits program by removing outdated job categories from their occupational database. This change aims to make it easier for more people to qualify for disability benefits.
2. Why are these changes being made to the disability benefits program?
The changes are being made because the current job database was last updated in 1977 and includes many jobs that no longer exist. This outdated information was making it difficult for some people to qualify for disability benefits, as they were judged based on jobs that are no longer available.
3. Which job categories are being removed from the SSA’s occupational database?
The SSA is removing 114 different job categories, including train telegraphers, watch repairers, reptile farmers, canary breeders, character impersonators, directory assistance operators, and more. These jobs are considered outdated and no longer relevant.
4. How will this change affect people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
This change will affect both SSDI and SSI programs. By removing outdated jobs from the evaluation process, more applicants may have a better chance of qualifying for benefits. SSDI helps those unable to work due to long-term medical conditions, while SSI supports low-income, disabled individuals.
5. What are some concerns about the new changes to the disability benefits program?
While many people welcome the changes, some critics argue that it may not fully address the systemic issues in the disability benefits program. There are concerns that the program still needs more significant reforms, particularly to address inequalities faced by disabled people of color.