Social Security Disability Scammers
Froma Harrop of the Creators Syndicate wrote an editorial on Social Security Disability scammers that appeared in the Columbus Dispatch on April 26, 2013. She indicated that ‘over 5 percent of eligible American adults are now receiving disability payments from Social Security. Twenty years ago, it was 3 percent.’ This problem is not just a US problem but is found in many countries throughout the world including Canada and Denmark she noted. It is just not fair to the rest of us who work everyday despite the aches, pains, and mental distress that we sometimes feel.
We at United We Stand agree. We also believe it is unfair to those folks who are truly disabled and legitimately receiving Social Security Disability benefits. When the Social Security Disability Trust Fund goes broke in 2016, benefits for these legitimate folks will be cut by 25% just as will those benefits for the scammers. Would it not be better to clean up this program by adding $3 billion to the Social Security Administration budget to review the 8,000,000 claimants over the next 4 years and to insure the Administrative Hearings are attended by an advocate for the taxpayer and the Trust Fund? Would it not be better to fine the states like Oregon and Washington who are gaming the system and converting their poor from a state responsibility to a Federal responsibility? Would it not be better to prohibit the paying of consultants a bounty of $2,000 to $3,000 per person that is converted? The short term savings are enormous and could return the Social Security Disability Trust Fund to solvency almost immediately. Our estimate of savings by following the steps above are $47 billion out of a $146 billion budget. When will the Congress and the President act. We hope soon.
Harry Pukay-Martin
