There are so many misconceptions about the Social Security disability program. I’ve written a book called “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” It puts to rest all the crazy rumors that are out there about the entire Social Security program. But I could probably write another book just setting the record straight about Social Security disability benefits.
For example, lots of people think it’s not really Social Security—even people getting disability benefits. They will write to me and say something like, “I’m getting disability benefits and will soon reach age 65. When will I get real Social Security?” I answer that question by telling them they are already getting “real” Social Security. It just happens to be a disability benefit instead of a retirement benefit.
To further answer their question, I tell them that when they reach full retirement age, they will be automatically switched from the Social Security disability program to the Social Security retirement program. But the changeover will essentially be transparent to them because their benefit amount remains the same. And that’s because a Social Security disability benefit pays the same rate as a full retirement age benefit.
Others seem to think that Social Security disability is some sort of welfare program. It’s not. If you’ve worked and paid taxes for a specified amount of time and become disabled before reaching full retirement age, you would get disability benefits whether you are rich or poor—just like you could get retirement benefits whether you are rich or poor.
What’s prompting this column is an email I got today from a guy who said: “They should take all the drug addicts off the disability program. My philosophy is this: if you have a disability you brought on yourself by poor life choices, then you should not be able to get Social Security disability.”
I had to clarify a couple things for this guy. First, you do not get Social Security disability benefits just because you’re a drug addict. However, if that addiction is bad enough that it’s led to other severe physical or mental impairments, those conditions might qualify you for disability checks.
And as far as his philosophy about poor life choices disqualifying you for benefits, what would he do about a guy who smoked all his life who at age 55 ended up with emphysema and lung cancer and started getting Social Security disability? Should we kick him off the program because of his poor life choices?
What about a woman who was in an abusive relationship and turned to alcohol for some form of relief and ended up an alcoholic who got cirrhosis of the liver and ended up on disability? Once again, do we kick her off the program because of her poor life choices?
I also know that many people think that Social Security disability benefits are handed out like candy to anyone who walks into a Social Security office claiming to have some minor problem. But the opposite is true.
Please, dear readers, believe me: As someone who’s worked with the disability program for about 50 years now, I know you must really be severely disabled to qualify for benefits. Of course, I’m not naive enough to think that out of the millions of Social Security disability beneficiaries, there aren’t a few bad apples in that big barrel who are getting benefits they don’t deserve. But I assure you they are few and far between.
The Social Security disability program is universally recognized as one of the most difficult programs to qualify for. You don’t simply get benefits if you have a bad back or a bum knee. You must have a severe physical or mental impairment that is expected to keep you out of work for at least 12 months—or a condition that is terminal.
Let me clear up another myth about disability benefits, which claims that once you’re on the program, the monthly checks will just keep rolling in for the rest of your life. Actually, the law says that every Social Security disability claim must be reviewed from time to time to make sure that the person getting monthly checks from the government still meets the legal definition of disabled.
How often a claim gets reviewed depends on the severity of the impairment. In cases in which the person’s medical condition is expected to improve, the rules say the claim must be reexamined every six to 18 months.
In situations in which medical improvement is possible, but not probable, the claim should be reviewed every three years or so.
And even in cases in which medical improvement is not expected, the law still requires that the case be reviewed once every five to seven years.
Finally, because I’m guessing most people reading this column are senior citizens, here’s a few quick words about older people who are disabled.
If you are over your full retirement age, forget about it. Once you reach that age, disability benefits are no longer payable. Or to put that another way, the retirement benefit you are getting pays the same rate as any disability benefits you might be due.
If you are under age 62 and disabled, then you should definitely file for Social Security disability.
If you are over 62 and not yet on Social Security, then you should file for retirement and disability benefits at the same time. The Social Security Administration can start your retirement payments right away. Then if your disability claim is eventually approved, they will switch you to the higher disability rate.
But if you are between age 62 and your full retirement age and are already getting Social Security retirement benefits, you may or may not be eligible for disability payments. I don’t have enough space left in this column to explain, but the closer you are to your full retirement age, the smaller your disability boost will be—and you may decide it’s just not worth all the hassle of filing a disability claim to get a few extra bucks per month.
