To attain Social Security
Disability, proof of your disability mush be shown. You must be able to prove
that you cannot work AT-ALL. If you are still able to do some work, you cannot receive
any money; you must be completely unable to work because of your condition in
order to qualify. The disability you have must also be severe enough to put you
out of commission for at least a year or have death as a possible serious
threat. (Lovering, 2012)
Benefits do not begin until you
have been disabled for at least five full months, this means that there is a
significant delay in the money people with disabilities need to support themselves.
You will be told when the start date of your benefits is and how much you will receive
only after your application is approved, so even if you qualify, there is no
set amount to be expected. (Lovering, 2012) Throughout the term of a person’s
use of the benefits, their case will be continually reviewed and if all the
criteria are not continually met, you could be turned down.
The process of applying is
emotionally draining on a person, so people need to have a friend or family
member help with filling out forms. The application process being so long adds
more stress to the financial issues and stress of the disability.
These things
mentioned may become an issue for individuals when applying for Social Security
Disability. Many people would not be able to apply for the help they need
because of the standards set. If we as a society want people to be well and receive
all the help they can get, the criteria need to be shaped to fit the majority
of those who need the help.
- Marquise
Spero, D. (2003). What You Need to Know About Social
Security Disability Insurance . In Learning Place Online. Retrieved November
20, 2012, from http://www.learningplaceonline.com/illness/living/know-ssdi.htm
This is a very interesting post! I was not aware that one cannot be able to do any work if they are to qualify for SSD. This seems a little extreme to me. I do question, however, where you would like to draw the line for who can and cannot recieve this benefit. Perhaps in changing the definition of "substantial"? I would think that what people view as a substantial amount of work for themselves would differ depending on many factors, like their upbringing, the nature of their disability, and their expectations. I can see how this would be very difficult for some people
ReplyDeleteI do think that the government does need to have some sort of process and policy for deciding who can qualify for this benefit. It does seem a little ridiculous that people have to wait five months after becoming disabled to be eligible for any sort of benefit. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for people who have no family or friends around to help them. It must be a very scary time.
Thanks for this very informative post, and I hope that some changes are made to this policy.
-Selina
It is so sad how insensitive many of our policies regarding people with disabilities are. People are interrogated to make sure they "deserve" financial aid, and in that process, I feel that their dignity and pride are put by the wayside. Their lives are dictated by people who don't understand their disability. When you get a job, your employer is expecting you to be able to come to work and perform fully while you are there. Many people with disabilities need more flexible work hours or duties, but employers are unwilling to do that. So if a person is able to work, it may be difficult to hold down a job for this reason. It is shameful that Canada does this to people who need assistance the most. Thanks for writing about how unfair these policies are!
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