Rise in disabled workers seeking benefits showing no signs of slowing
Posted on:9/8/2009
Written By: Chris Robideaux
| Applications for Social Security disability benefits rose more than 17 percent in the first quarter, according to Allsup. There are 7.4 million people receiving disability benefits that average $1,063 a month, according to the Social Security Administration’s most recent data. |
The sheer numbers of disabled workers seeking Social Security disability benefits is starting to become staggering. Applications for Social Security disability benefits rose more than 17 percent in the first quarter, according to Allsup. There are 7.4 million people receiving disability benefits that average $1,063 a month, according to the Social Security Administration’s most recent data.
The number of U. S. adults reporting a disability increased by 3.4 million between 1999 and 2005, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 47 million people, or an estimated one in five adults, report having a disability. The three most common causes are arthritis or rheumatism, back problems and heart disease.
Those numbers are expected to rise as the baby boomers age, with many becoming disabled and being pushed out of the work force. So it can pay to know how to approach the claims process.
Some workers who’ve been laid off and who struggle with multiple debilitating health conditions may find their combined disabilities rise to the level of prohibiting them from working, said Paul Gada, personal financial planning director for Allsup, a Social Security disability claims-services company in Belleville, Ill. “The realities of the harsh economy have forced them to come to grips with their conditions more,” Gada said. “You have to do more introspection.”