The Washington Free Beacon reported last month that many political experts agree that lawmakers in the nation’s capital are unlikely to take up Social Security reform soon.
According to the Free Beacon, with funding expected to exhaust by 2016 for people collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, many lawmakers are wary of angering the 11 million people collecting benefits.
“I haven’t heard of any member on the Hill sort of championing disability insurance reform,” said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies for the Cato Institute told the Beacon. It should be noted that the Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank and lobbying group.
While we encourage constructive debate, we are glad that politicians are not looking at benefit “reform”. We have noticed an ongoing effort by lobbyists and media outlets since the beginning of the year to misrepresent Social Security Administration benefits, in an obvious effort to push lawmakers into “reform”.
Earlier this year, Media Matters found out that print media coverage of Social Security issues during the first half of 2013 “overwhelmingly [favored] reporting figures in raw numbers that lack relevant context, a trend that reflects cable and broadcast news coverage’s push for reducing the cost of the program over strengthening benefits for recipients.”
Occasionally, you will hear SSDI described as an “entitlement program”, when it is truly the opposite of that—people collecting SSDI benefits have paid into the system through taxes and have earned work credits. In fact, many studies have shown that SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are social safety nets that help boost our economy.
If you have endured a horrific injury that leaves you unable to work, we suggest contacting a Tulsa Social Security disability attorney to see if you may be eligible for SSDI benefits. We offer free evaluations of your case, and you may reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404. Contact us today.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability attorneys
Troutman Touts: In 2011, 87 percent of married couples 65 and older received some form of Social Security benefits.
