Recently, the Portland Tribune ran an article titled Economy leaves troubled youth behind: Some turn to Social Security disability funds as jobs become scarce in tough market. You can read it for yourself here.
I found the implication that young people are applying for — and successfully obtaining — social security disability benefits because they can’t find jobs simply ridiculous. For starters, it’s not that easy to get benefits!
So I decided to write a Letter to the Editor. What follows is my response to this article. What do you think?
Dear Editor,
As a social security disability attorney who sees many clients, including young people with mental illness, I take issue with your recent (September 15) article about youth seeking social security disability benefits when it implies that lots of folks out there are receiving disability benefits because they cannot find work.
It may be true that some people who cannot find work attempt to get benefits, but it simply isn’t that easy to succeed. Moreover, even when you succeed, your benefits are never permanent. The Social Security Administration makes sure of that through continuing disability reviews to make sure that a person is still disabled.
I’m sorry you ended the story with a quote from a young woman who claims that receiving SSI “just makes her lazy”. Her comment suggests that she needs to learn about the opportunities through SSI to explore working while on benefits. The optional Ticket to Work program is designed to help folks on benefits explore and improve vocational skills and ultimately if possible, go back to work. Under Ticket to Work, disability beneficiaries are protected from losing benefits until they are able to return to work.
Of course every program has its flaws. But the Social Security disability program was created, as President Truman noted,
“…as an inescapable obligation of a democratic society to provide for every individual some measure of basic protection from hardship and want caused by factors beyond his control”
Sincerely,
Cheryl Coon, Attorney
Swanson, Thomas & Coon