Number of people on Disability going down

If you listened to some national commentators, you would get the idea that more and more and more people are abusing the system and going on disability, and that the program is out of control. In 1984 the definition of disability expanded and the process became a bit easier. Later, the baby boomer bulge began hitting the ages where people are more likely to be disabled, and thus to be awarded disability benefits. And the number of women in the work force continued rising, creating even more workers who paid into the system and thus were eligible if they became unable to work. The number of people receiving disability therefore increased quite noticeably. But now, evidence requirements are being tightened, the baby boomers are aging out of disability eligibility into retirement eligibility, and the percentage of women in the work force is levelling. Approval rates from judges is also trending down. Since about 2014, the total number of people on disability is going down.

And, Social Security closed its local offices for COVID. Reopening is only now starting to occur.

Abuse of the system and crime will happen in any human endeavor. But our focus here should be on the help that people who have worked most of their adult lives have earned.

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