Last week we posted about how disability cuts in Rhode Island have negatively affected residents in that state. Disabled workers on a strict income in that state now have to make due with less, and several facilities that provided housing and services to the disabled had to close down. Another state is seeing the impact of cuts to disability benefits – Minnesota.
On the last day of September, federal disability benefits ended for 89 residents of Minnesota. Officials expect the total number of residents impacted by the cuts to top 700 eventually. The residents that the cuts are impacting are disabled immigrants who are here lawfully. They came to the country as legal refugees after the US granted them asylum. Those refugees suffering from mental or physical disabilities receive federal benefits the same way everyone else does.
The problem they face is that, when they began receiving benefits, there was an assumption that they would eventually become citizens. For some, that never occurred, and many of them are now too old or are disabled to such an extent that obtaining citizenship is unlikely. Some of the disabled refugees came here during the Vietnam War and provided assistance to our military, so advocates would like to see disability benefits continued for them.
Too often we see cuts hurt the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Where do you think disability benefits cuts should come from? Our Tulsa OK SSI lawyers are interested in hearing your ideas.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security Disability attorneys
