What will happen to those on disability?

[writersmom]

A large part of our income comes from social security disability for my dh. It is something I've never personally counted on, knowing that at any time, the Feds could just decide to cut it.

I worry though, I really do.

I also have medical problems (seizures) that make it impossible for me to hold down a job.

We've been through some really rough times economically and we still struggle, but are more stable than we've ever been. But first we had to lose our house, our car, everything. Now, we have housing assistance but we have lived on eight-hundred dollars a month with an over six-hundred dollar a month mortgage, while raising three kids. God has always provided.

I know He can still provide even if Soc. Security goes defunct or gets cut.

It is, however, very hard to save when you only get money once a month, and that almost all immeadiatley gets eaten up by bills.

I just pray that somehow we can find a way to get through.

Neither one of us enjoys being dependent on these programs. It is rather a scary way to live, but I guess it isn't a whole lot different than holding a job with an uncertain future.

We really don't know our future anyhow, it is all in the hands of God, I know that and keep thinking about it but it is still a bit scary.

Guess I kind of went on and on, but I am scared at times, especially when I read the posts about the camps, I figure the disabled would be the first to go, just like in other places. I worry for my children, we have no family close by. I am scared even to pray about it because to pray about it would admit that it is a possibility and that is too scary to even deal with.

Sara

[L8DBUG]

:hug
Times are tough. My brother is on disability and he has 2 kids and his wife is not working. They barely make ends meet, but somehow they do. My sis. in law, like you, puts her faith in God. :pray for your situation.

[Amanda's mom]

I understand completely. I went back to work because my DH was on SSDI. The pay wasn't much after they took out union dues, medical FSA, health insurance, and taxes but it was steady. Then I was assaulted and I can't work. Now I get workers' comp but they keep trying to find a way to cut it off. I start to worry but then I remember that God will provide and take care of us, He always has, and I calm down. Just keep praying about it and the Lord will reassure you.

[RDY4HIM]

I hope to never be dependent on disability, but I was recently diagnosed with numerous chronic, disabling health problems. I read an article today that states, at the present time, it can take 1-5 years or more for a disability claim to be approved! What exactly is a disabled person supposed to do for that 1-5 year period???

[RDY4HIM]

I hope to never be dependent on disability, but I was recently diagnosed with numerous chronic, disabling health problems. I read an article today that states, at the present time, it can take 1-5 years or more for a disability claim to be approved! What exactly is a disabled person supposed to do for that 1-5 year period???

Besides trusting in God to provide, which I do. But for income... :)

[I'm all 67X]

Precious Sara- you touched me deeply. Keep your focus upward and keep reminding us as well by your living.

I :pray 4 U

[Biblenuggetlady]

Purchase a Disability Workbook thru Physician's Disability Services at PO Box 827 Arnold, Maryland 21012, send a check for $19.95 for each book. Follow their instructions and send copies of EVERY medical/doctors report, labs, tests, hospital records, psychiatrist record, etc that you can get your hand on and include it with your application. If you are planning to apply for SS Disability, send a letter immediately to them "a letter of intent to apply for benefits" and let them know you are gathering the materials and documentation necessary to submit with your application. Doing this, you are given the date of that letter as start date for your case, so that when you do mail in your application, the date on the letter will be used for that start of your case and this can make your dates retroactive-instead of the date on our application and documents being used. When you apply for SS there is a 4 month processing time and an exam given by a SocSec physician is required (take all your records with you to this appt to)...and if it is approved, the earliest checks start is on the fifth month after your claim/case date. I used this workbook and sailed through with my approval. Praise the Lord, the day my regular disability was to run out for my job, my SS checks kicked in. :pray

[Rondaben]

I'll attempt to answer the Original Post's question as clearly as I can with my understanding of the situation and where I personally see it going.

Those who are relying on fixed incomes including those on disability are, to be blunt, in trouble. Disability checks are tied to an annual cost of living adjustment related to the government's CPI inflation yardstick. Therin lies the problem.

The government's measure of inflation bears no resemblance to market conditions or even to previous CPI numbers from before the Clinton era. According to current CPI numbers inflation is hanging around 2.5%. But....


The cost of fuel/energy and food is NOT included
the model uses a 'hedonic" method of valuation. That is, it assumes that if one of the items they measure becomes too expensive the average consumer will find an alternative. For example, if steak price goes up by $1 per pound, they assume that you will switch to hamburger which is $2 per pound cheaper. Viola! you have just lowered your cost of living!
The basket of goods that are measured are changed frequently. This doesn't allow for easy month to month (little alone year to year) comparisons of inflation.


If you use the same method to estimate inflation (pre-1992 CPI model) you would see that the actual rate of inflation is closer to 7.5% (www.shadowstats.com).

Why is this method used and why did CPI methods change? Simple answer: money. Lower CPI means lower outlay for retirement, military, disability, social security, etc. cost of living adjustments. It also reduces the cost of locality pay adjustments for current Federal employees. Moreover it underestimates inflation and allows the Fed much more flexibility in easing money standards (it can print more than it could if the inflation rate were bein reported as three times higher than it currently is.) What does that mean to you?

In real terms it means that you are losing around 5% of your purchasing power annually due to under reported inflation.

Take into account the depreciation of the dollars that you ARE getting and you have reduced the value of your monthly check by an additional 15.3% in the last 12 months.

Now add in the cost of gasoline rising and the cost of food going up. You are being squeezed from both ends (price and income).

Now for the bad news.

The rate of inflation is going to dramatically increase in the next 12 months. It has too--trillions of dollars are flooding the worldwide economic system in the name of "liquidity". Your dollar will be worth much less in 12 months than it is now. The Fed will not keep up with the CPI and will either revise how it is calculated to keep the number low or will simply stop reporting it for a more favored economic yardstick (this has already happened with some measures. The M3 or total amount of money within the economy stopped being reported in 2006. It is estimated to be increasing at a rate approaching 17% per year--that is, the government is in essence "printing" 17 percent more dollars every year...note how that compares to the US Dollar index falling 15.3% in value-a good estimate IMO).

To summarize, you will have to do much more with much less. If you are living at the margin of your ability it will be a very painful year.

[Brick]

I hope to never be dependent on disability, but I was recently diagnosed with numerous chronic, disabling health problems. I read an article today that states, at the present time, it can take 1-5 years or more for a disability claim to be approved! What exactly is a disabled person supposed to do for that 1-5 year period???

Focus on the phrase "it can take". That is not necessarily the amount of time it will take. My mom had to go on disability recently because of her back and as I understand it she was fairly quickly approved.

[Brick]

Stuff like this just got me to thinking. Maybe someone could create a website that uses something like paypal for people to help one another. Sure there will be the vulnerability to abuse, but wouldn't that be off set by the good that could be done? Just a thought. I keep remembering Matt 25: 31-46