Stomping Out the Stigmas Surrounding SSDI

It is often asserted that people who qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits never go back to work, people only apply for SSDI benefits because of its monetary component and that the benefits are free payouts. Unfortunately, these stigmas make some people with disabilities reluctant to apply for disability benefits. Below are the common misunderstandings about SSDI and their corresponding facts.

People Who Receive SSDI Do Not Go Back to Work

Many people getting SSDI benefits return to work as soon as they can. The Ticket to Work (TTW) program connects SSDI recipients with representatives from Employment Networks (ENs), who help them overcome obstacles to finding employment when they are ready to reenter the workforce.

SSDI Benefits Are Handouts

American workers pay into the SSDI program through their FICA taxes. The program ensures that the workers are covered if they cannot keep their jobs because of a disability. SSDI benefits are, therefore, earned insurance benefits and not free payouts. The beneficiaries provide the funds to cover the benefits. As a result, it is incorrect to argue that the SSDI program places an additional burden on taxpayers.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has stringent requirements that people looking to get SSDI benefits must meet. The SSA’s Blue Book lists the severity that one’s symptoms must have reached. In fact, out of the 156 million individuals that can access SSDI benefits because of their tax contributions, only 5% of them (8.2 million people) are currently receiving the benefits. This further shows how the program does not foster freeloaders.

Over 60% of SSDI applicants are rejected during the initial application stage. People increase their chances of approval for SSDI benefits when they apply for the benefits or appeal their claims with the help of Social Security disability lawyers.

Money Is the Only Reason for Applying for SSDI

While the money that an individual will receive is a primary reason for him or her to apply for SSDI benefits, there are several other advantages of applying, which include:

• Cash benefits to eligible family members
• Disability freeze to protect retirement benefits
• Medicare coverage

The SSDI program can help people and their dependents avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy, get health insurance after employment loss, restore normalcy in everyday life, make a smoother transition back to the workforce and have more optimism for the future. Therefore, it is crucial to stomp out these stigmas and encourage people with disabilities to apply for SSDI benefits.