1/3 of budget passed is about SSDI disability reform.

Bottom line, disability is being rampantly abused in this country. Talk to anyone in the healthcare industry or anyone working in the government sector, anyone that comes into regular contact with the disability/welfare/section 8 class. The culture of disability benefits-living is ridiculous. Spend enough time bugging a doctor, he'll give you the documentation you need. Tell him how your back hurts, how you're too crazy to work, how your ADD/PTSD/OCD just makes work too tough. ANYONE can get on disability if they try hard enough, that's the problem.

Disability should be for people that absolutely have no other option. People with severe physical disabilities, quadriplegics, things of that nature. On the mental side, severe retardation. If you're just too crazy to work then maybe you should be in an institution.

If your back or knees are sore or you are really, really sad because 20 years ago someone hurt your feelings and now you just can't concentrate enough to work.....save the gene pool from your inferiority, don't pass it on. Everyone struggles and has bad days, suck it up, get a job. While you're binge watching Netflix and posting on websites, the rest of society is waking up early, overcoming mountains of obstacles and working hard to support you. No one has earned that right except the elderly. No one of working age has earned the right to be supported by others hard work. Have some self respect.

The impersonal you by the way, none of this is aimed at anyone on this thread in particular, your individual condition is not known by this poster.

a reply to: hammanderr

although, I would like to note.....
you have to either be a welfare case to begin with, or very well off to be able to afford to keep bugging a doctor to convince him that you are disabled.
which leaves most of the working class....
what I don't get is why do kids get it? I can see if they are really bad off and need constant supervision at home and are incurring a ton of medical bills, but well, I've seen kids on disability who are left to run the streets unsupervised, while mom is somewhere, anywhere but working or watching the kid. I don't get that one, since well, it's not like a 7 or 8 year old is gonna have to work to support themselves anyways, that's why they got a mommy and daddy, and unless their problem is causing the family to incur more than the average for their care, why do they get social security? Sometimes, I think that it might be an incentive for the parents to get them labeled really. I was told that I could get it for one of my kids when he was younger, but I just couldn't see the need for it, it wasn't like he was costing us that much more money. And, well, that kid is a normal productive adult now, something which I don't know, I think maybe he wouldn't have become if I didn't press him to do the best he could and the teachers to treat him normally.

a reply to: mikell

When my wife retired they begged her to take disability and basically told her they could get it for her. It's the new long term unemployment

Really? Did they have a physician on staff willing to falsify medical documents? If so, they should be reported and investigated for fraud.

a reply to: dawnstar

What you're describing is the increasing role of healthcare in the social entitlement realm. More and more entitlement benefits are being gained by way of the healthcare sector. Disability being the major one. Within the confines of disability is disabled children. Ostensibly the parent is given the disability money to care for their "disabled" child(who is probably just the result of poor parenting in behavioral cases). But the point is, healthcare is becoming an area where people are able to steal more taxpayer dollars for their phantom ailments.

Homeless people come into hospitals for a warm, dry place to sleep. Lazy people come to the hospital and insist they are crazy or in pain in order to get some doctor to help them get on some form of entitlement.

If you've seen the episode of The Simpsons where Homer is elected Mayor on the platform of, "can't somebody else do it?". He pays garbagemen to run around Sringfield and do everything people don't feel like doing. Anyway, the town goes broke. This is the healthcare industry in America. Hospitals are the catch all for lazy, hungry, crazy, broke, marginalized individuals.

I think it is funny that people believe that most people are on social programs because they want to be. Who in their right mind would willingly want to live on such a meager amount. It takes a whole lot more work to live on bennifits than it does to work, just not in the same way.

For those people you think seem to be able to work because they post on-line or drive, they may be able to function some days and not others. Very few employers if any are willing to tolerate someone who has to take frequent days off, has days they can't physically do their tasks, or has meltdowns at work.

Benefits do not cover basic living expenses even with the help of section 8. There is still Gas/water/electric, which in most locations in the U.S. you can only get help once a year, if lucky. Food. Some states do not allow food stamps for people on SSDI. You have medical co-pays, household supplies, and god forbid you have any form of financial emergency costing $25 or more.

I would love to see the people who complain try to live on bennifits income for just 1 month. They would starve. People on bennifits have to stretch every penny and then some.

As for children, children can get disability, because it often means that it limits the ability of one of the parents to work due caring for the child, as well as increased costs for transportation to medical and therapeutic visits.

a reply to: hammanderr

hey, I've been officially handicapped for probably over ten years now. We declared two bankrupties during that time of which the medical bills that I ran up played a major role in (over ten thousand dollars for a few broken bones in a foot would send most budgets over the edge!) I worked two jobs during this time, at one I was occasionally falling down, at the other, there were days when I was holding onto things whenever I could to avoid falling down, and I worked harder than most men out there, just to come home to more work, so I don't want to hear how they're all lazy. I haven't seen a doctor since I lost my last job (and the insurance that went with it, and well, my medical history is really kind of broken. So, well, when I talked to social security I asked them to just go ahead and link me up with their doctor for an evaulation..... as I was getting ready to leave the nurse came in and informed me that I should go see a doctor because there was a few things that the doctor picked up that were quite troubling, one of which was blood pressure that was so high it put me in the danger zone, I looked it up when I got home...... I'm in the Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed) category.... well, I am broke, and my kids are tapping or have tapped in two cases out trying to help me, so well, the best I am gonna do it look around for natural ways to bring it down since I don't have the money for any medicine anyways!

ya know what my view in this is? you wouldn't have so many disabled people stealing your money if the gov't (on the behalf of the companies and yes, the stockholders) hadn't allowed the costs of healthcare to get so insane in the first place......money might be getting swiped from you for the healthcare costs of the working poor and disabled, but if you have an IRA or are invested in stocks, or are in upper management, well, then you are getting much of it back that way while the businesses you are invested in shift more and more of what should be considered their responsibility (making sure their employees have what they need to stay healthy enough to be productive employees) over to the gov't.

weather it be from gov't tax pool, the company's profit margins, higher umemployment rates, crime, kids getting stuck with the responsibility of caring for their elderly, or even losing you national parks as tent cities..... somewhere, somehow these need will be met, since the alternative to them not being met isn't acceptable to anyone.....
having the old, the poor and their children, the disabled on the streets with cups in hand freezing and starving to death isn't going be tolerated, I bet even by you!!!

a reply to: hammanderr

Are The Simpsons where you get your facts or world view from?

Aussie here

If any country wishing to be civilised we need to look after those who need help.

But there are those who out rightly abuse the crap out of welfare, its not just in America.

Over here a two parent family with about 4 children who don`t want to work can get government funded housing ( on a long waiting list ) and earn around 60k a year. These people set an example for their children who somehow think hard working tax paying workers should provide them an existence. I have seen some interviewed and when asked "do you want to work" they always say yes, but say "if I make X amount on welfare, why should I work for anything less or make up any other excuse. Without seeing it from a moral perspective that its sucking the blood out of the rest of us.

When people can earn more on welfare from the government than those working, there is something seriously wrong and will only create animosity and more welfare abusers which in turn hurts those who aren`t receiving enough and those paying for it.

I personally have had the great pleasure of working with people with disabilities mainly cerebral palsy many years ago and all of them about 100 loved coming to work in a factory environment which gave them a sense pride to earn a living, although they were only paid about 50 cents an hour which they made on top of their welfare payment. ( I used to make and alter the machinery or design jigs suited for each individuals needs )

Many elderly in this country struggle as do many who legitimately need help, I hate it!

Its the people who abuse the system that wreck it for those who need it, they lack personal responsibility.

I remember when I was young and hearing JFK`s speech and it still rings as great words to any anyone or country who wants to succeed....

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

a reply to: gps777

I don't know what it's like there but in the US you have all these programs coming out of different agencies. I've actually written to a few of my elected representative asking them just how much, in monetary terms they are giving out, and have gotten some pretty rediculous answers back. I came to the conclusion that they really don't know. But well, if a person manages to hit the jackpot, ya the value of them was greater than what many of the working families were bringing home a month. A simple fix to this (which would also cut the budget payroll considerably would be to streamline all these programs under one agency and well, instead of giving out food stamps, hud vouchers, medicaid cards, ect, just decide how much money a person needs a month for the bare necessities of life and if a family's income doesn't match it, provide the shortage to them if they come and ask for help. but then match the minimum wage to that amount that you've set. and well..... no more choosing not to work because it's more profitable to sit home and collect. it might also slow the rate of inflation somewhat....
but then, the whiz kids in the economic sector are saying that inflation isn't high enough and they want to raise it, if they get their way, we will have more people needing (and most likely getting) help from the gov't who will end up giving out more because of this higher inflation that is being said to be needed TO PROTECT the investment sectors!

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: hammanderr

Are The Simpsons where you get your facts or world view from?

Perhaps you're not paying attention to the theme of my comments in this thread, the healthcare industry being mentioned over and over. Do you think perhaps the experiences with people trying to get disability through the healthcare industry have been gained firsthand? Or do you intend to deflect the serious nature of this thread by asking silly questions? Very strategic of you, typical tactics from someone that can't argue the point, ridicule, deflect, dissemble.

a reply to: wantsome
It makes me sick how somebody can work their asses off and get injured because of the job and are unable to work and need disability benefits (that they paid money into in order to get them in the first place) and the people who control it make them jump through hoops to get what they need. Then, they start messing with these programs like SSI and disability to further restrict people that need the help from getting it. Yet, here they are getting raises.

a reply to: Skid Mark

I understand the need to scrutinize those applying because of the high potential for abuse but some of it is over the top. And to treat those that have been declared disabled by a federal judge as sponges on the system is just ridiculous. You hear all of these stories about people abusing the system but I've never seen it. Maybe in some states but not mine. In my state you need to have a screwdriver impaled in your head to get approved.

We give hundreds of billions in foreign aid and spend trillions on war yet it's nearly impossible for some in this country to get the help they need. We treat our own soldiers like dirt. The VA lets them die before they get the help they need.

As a disabled person it's not like I'm living high on the hog. Surviving on a 3rd world income is no walk in the park. I'm one step away from sleeping under a freeway overpass. If I could I'd rather be working.

originally posted by: Skid Mark
a reply to: wantsome
It makes me sick how somebody can work their asses off and get injured because of the job and are unable to work and need disability benefits and the people who control it make them jump through hoops to get what they need.

Geez! you guys don`t have workers compensation??

The injuries/disabilities and the likelihood or unlikelihood of being able to work and to what capacity, are assessed here and they are paid a lump sum for the years they will be unable to work or for life here.

But I get it, it`s like all government agencies and committees seem to have little to no purpose than to see how much they can screw things up for the people.

Don't get me started on worker comp.

9 years ago I was injured on the job resulting in a torn ligament in my foot. The Doctor my employer sent me to, insisted it was nothing but a sprain and I was fine to go back to work. I was sure it was broken, but an x-ray didn't turn anything up, so what could I do. I finally sought medical treatment on my own dime, where I was informed that I had a torn ligament, confirmed by a physical therapist.
My own medical documentation did nothing to help my case and I was then "laid off" due to budget cuts and staff reduction shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a lawyer to take my case at the time. I still occasionally have pain as a result of delayed medical care causing scar tissue to form. Nothing life shattering, and usually only after climbing long flights of stairs, but it is enough to make me angry.

My husband on the other hand was attacked by a student in an inner city school a few years back resulting severe back pain. They were happy to pay for him to see a Dr. for pain pills, but workman's comp repeatedly denied to pay for an MRI, and his medical insurance wouldn't cover it due to it being a workman's comp issue.
The school fired him a couple of months later terminating his health insurance. The school eventually settled out of court, he never did get his MRI.

The way I see it, workman's comp is the best way to lose your job.

a reply to: hammanderr
I can quite easily imagine a society where disabled people are looked after even if they cant work and don't have to rely on charity that may or may not provide enough for them to live on. Thanks for checking.