Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that if Congress does not act by December 28 and extend unemployment benefits, millions of Americans could see their income disappear.
The Post then asked, would these unemployed workers move to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if their benefits expire? The answer, the newspaper reported—no. The Post used information provided through a research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, submitted by three economists, Andreas Mueller, Jesse Rothstein and Till M. von Wachter, to base its claim.
“Are workers using disability as an extended safety net when their jobless benefits lapse?” the Post asked. “No. The economists exploited the fact that different states have pared back their jobless benefits at different times during the downturn and found that disability applications don’t rise in response.”
The Post said that a study done by Rothstein also suggested that disability would not increase. “Across the United States, disability applications actually rose when unemployment insurance became more generous, and applications fell after unemployment insurance got cut back,” the Post reported. “This suggests that people aren’t using disability as an extended form of jobless benefits.”
Locate a Tulsa Disability Attorney
Our firm recommends reaching out to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, a resource offered under the United States Department of Labor, if you have difficulty finding work and suffer from disabilities.
We also suggest speaking to our disability attorneys, who can help determine if you may be eligible for SSDI, if you are unable to work. Keep in mind, in order to qualify for SSDI, your condition must be severe enough to keep you from working or performing “past relevant work”, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) may attempt to get medical records from treating doctors and hospitals.
If you have questions about an application for Social Security benefits, do not hesitate to contact our Tulsa Social Security disability lawyers for a free evaluation of your case. You may also reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404.
