Budget proposal could affect Social Security Disability benefits

Missourians who have a medical issue can often receive Social Security disability benefits due to their condition. There are several programs that provide these benefits, including Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Those who are seeking or are already getting these benefits should pay attention to current events to know how certain legal changes might affect them. One is the budget proposed by President Donald J. Trump and how it would reduce SSDI.

The program is in place to protect workers who have suffered a disabling injury or illness and is used by close to 9 million workers. These workers are usually between the ages of 18 and 64. It also helps nearly 2 million dependents. If the budget passes, the program would be cut by an estimated $70 billion in the next decade. Many of those who would be affected by this are from areas that voted heavily for the president.

In addition to these recipients, SSDI also provides benefits to disabled adult children and workers’ widows or widowers. There are also proposed cuts for SSI. Since SSDI is from payroll contributions, it is different from SSI. In the two decades between 1996 and 2015, the number of people who got SSDI nearly doubled from 7.7 million to 13 million. Allegations on the part of those supporting the cuts say that there is substantial fraud in the disability programs, but others state that demographics are more of a reason for the rise in recipients.

With all these potential changes on the horizon, those who are seeking disability benefits can have legal help when they have suffered from or are affected by an issue that will warrant an approval. Discussing the matter with a legal professional who is experienced in Social Security disability can help claimants to understand how the proposed budget changes can affect an application and what to do regarding their application or current SSD benefits.

Source: Time, “The Trump Budget Cuts Disability Benefits. That Will Hurt Trump Counties,” Haley Sweetland Edwards, Chris Wilson, May 25, 2017

Practice Areas

Military Law
Family Law
Social Security Disability
Worker’s Compensation
Personal Injury