Skip to main content

WHAT 60 MINUTES DID NOT TELL YOU

"If 60 Minutes had done 30 Minutes of research, their program would have been far different."

In October 2013, 60 Minutes aired a program about Social Security titled "Disability USA."  In the program, 60 Minutes made some sensational statements about Social Security disability in the United States.  However, there were some fundamental facts that CBS forgot to tell you.

  • CBS forgot to say that Social Security is a self-financing program paid for by payroll taxes collected from workers and their employers.  It is off budget, meaning that Social Security benefits are not part of the US Government's budget and never have been.
  • CBS forgot to say that the Social Security trust fund is supposed to have $2.6 trillion dollars in it.
  • CBS forgot to say that, over the years, Congress has "borrowed" or "stolen" that $2.6 trillion to pay other bills, and that is why there is little money in the trust fund. The "crisis" now is that Congress is being called on to put back the $2.6 trillion they borrowed/stole from the trust fund.
  • CBS forgot to say that the increasing number of claims for Social Security disability benefits was predicted years ago and is largely due to an aging baby boomer population and women who entered the workforce in massive numbers during and after World War 2.
  • CBS forgot to say that two-thirds of all new disability claims are denied at the initial level and that applicants often wait years or longer to get approved for benefits that they clearly qualified for from the beginning.
  • CBS forgot to mention that the US Government pays no attorneys fees for SSDI claimants who hire a representative to help them get their benefits.  Those attorney fees are deducted from the claimant's benefits. The Government even charges the attorney a service fee each time it deducts and forwards a fee to an attorney on behalf of the claimant.  Those fees not only cost the Government zero, they also generate income for the Government!
  • CBS forgot to say that only 4 out of 10 claimants ever collect any Social Security disability benefits - and the ones that eventually do are poked, prodded, examined, tested, consulted, investigated and interrogated more than any other group of citizens in the entire USA! (If you think it's tough getting a disability claim approved by a private insurance company, it's nothing compared to getting an SSDI claim approved)!
  • Finally, CBS forget to tell you that all working Americans are required to purchase Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and pay for it with payroll deductions.  There is ordinarily no way to "opt out."  After being forced to pay for disability insurance coverage for their entire working lives, CBS makes it sound like a scam to apply for benefits when the worker becomes old and unable to work. This, even when the US Government controls every aspect of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program:  they control the conditions that qualify for benefits, the age at which benefits can be granted, the restrictions of coverage, and the rate of tax each American pays for SSDI coverage.  If something is wrong with the program, how can it not be the fault of the US Government which controls the entire shindig?

As radio commentator Paul Harvey used to say, "That's the rest of the story."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COMPLETING THE FUNCTION REPORT FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security analyzes a new claimant's ability to perform certain activities.  This helps them to decide whether the claimant is disabled according to their rules.  They use a form called "Function Report - Form SSA-3373-BK" or one very much like it.  Be careful how you answer the questions on this form.  Strive to be accurate but also descriptive.  Try to give a real picture of how your pain or other symptoms limit your daily activities--such as shopping, driving, doing housework, socializing, etc. Here are just a few of the questions on the Function Report, as samples of the type of information being collected from each applicant who files a new claim for benefits: Do you take care of anyone else such as a wife/husband, children, parents, friend, other?  ( If you do, and do not show that you have significant problems in doing so, Social Security may judge that you are quite able to perform other activity, like working). How often do you prepare food or meals? 
5 comments
Read more

JUDGE JUDY TIRADES ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY

Judge Judy Sheindlin has added her two cents worth to the controversy about Social Security.  Judge Judy appeared on a Fox News program hosted by Megan Kelly and said she was tired of people getting Social Security disability because they were "alcoholics and drug addicts," adding to the popular myth that SSDI is "going broke" because of dead beat drug users who refuse to work.  Fox News did nothing to set the record straight. The truth is that by law individuals cannot qualify for SSI or SSDI benefits based on either alcohol or drug addiction/abuse. In 1996, Congress passed Public Law ( P.L. ) 104-121—which terminated benefits for Supplemental Security Income ( SSI ) and Disability Insurance ( DI ) beneficiaries whose primary impairment was drug addiction, alcoholism, or both. As a result of the 1996 legislation, those individuals became ineligible for benefits, effective January 1, 1997. Social Security will currently not award benefits to persons becau
Post a Comment
Read more

TAKE A HARD LOOK AT SOCIAL SECURITY BEFORE YOU FILE!

Considering a Social Security disability claim?  Take a hard look at it before deciding. If you have a choice, you probably don't need to apply. Some things to consider: 1.  It will probably not be an easy or short process.  It will take about 4 months to get your initial decision and 70% of those are denials.  If you must appeal, expect a wait time of an additional 18 months after you file the appeal.  So, you may be looking at 2 years or more in many cases. 2.  You will need good medical evidence.  If you have little or no evidence from a doctor, it isn't likely you will ever be approved. 3.  You cannot apply for SSDI while you are working and earning at least $1,170 a month.  This work will disqualify you.  Many people don't realize they will have to stop working to apply for SSDI.  That's why we say, "If you have a choice, you probably don't need to apply."  If working is an option, it's the best option. 4.  The average SSDI benefit is arou
4 comments
Read more