In defense of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, the White House, under President Barack Obama, recently released a report discussing how the program was a vital lifeline for the country. The report was in response to political attacks based on funding issues.
As we reported last month, Social Security Administration (SSA) trustees have said that unless something is done to alleviate stress by Congress, the SSDI trust fund would run dry next year. This would trigger a 19 percent cut in benefits for recipients.
“Millions of workers have benefited from SSDI since it was established nearly 60 years ago. And the 11 million Americans who currently benefit from SSDI could face a deep and abrupt 19 percent reduction in benefits if lawmakers fail to act to address a long-projected shortfall in the program’s finances,” the Obama administration wrote.
The report went on to say that Obama has proposed solutions for policymakers that would rebalance Social Security funding. As we have noted, one of the proposals brought forward by Democrats is a shift in tax revenues from the SSA’s retirement fund to the SSDI program, a step that has been taken in the past.
“The [Social Security trust fund] has enough money to provide full benefits to both [SSDI] beneficiaries and retirees for almost the next two decades, but funding across the two programs is out of balance,” the White House noted, seemingly supporting a revenue shift.
To read the complete report by the White House, you can click here.
If You Are Disabled, You Should Be Able to Take Care of Yourself Financially
We hope that our political leaders take this strong message from Obama into account. We see countless people each day in our offices that are disabled, who are struggling to get by, and we understand how vital SSDI is for them. The last thing we would like to see is their benefits reduced. Because of this, our attorneys are dedicated to pointing out how important this program is for millions of Americans.
Our clients have paid into the Social Security system and have earned work credits. They are not looking for handouts—they are simply looking for support during difficult times. If you have questions about collecting SSDI, speak to our Tulsa disability attorneys at (918) 265-1404.
Today marks the 80th anniversary of Social Security. Our country is strong because we have safety net programs like SSDI that support people when they can no longer work.
