If you watch the news, you’ve seen the stories on 60 Minutes and elsewhere about alleged abuse in the SSDI program. Of course, every case of disability fraud puts at risk the millions of honest Americans with disabilities who obey the law and adhere to the rules. If you qualify to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you earned those benefits and you are legally entitled to payments. If you can’t work and you aren’t yet receiving SSDI benefits, don’t wait to get started. If you’re in southern California, call an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney today.
It’s good when fraud is exposed; however, news stories sometimes convey the idea that fraud is rampant in the SSDI program. It isn’t. The media mostly fails to report on the circumstances and backgrounds of the people who rely on SSDI. That’s why the Social Security Administration (SSA) made a video earlier this year titled The Faces and Facts of Disability. It’s short; you can watch it on YouTube. The video conveys these basic themes:
1. Social Security Disability Insurance is coverage that workers earn.
2. Disability doesn’t discriminate; it can happen to anyone.
3. Payments are barely enough to keep beneficiaries above the poverty level.
4. The SSA defines disability very strictly. Disability beneficiaries are more than three times as likely to die in within a year as others the same age. Among those who receive benefits beginning at age 55, 1-in-5 men and 1-in-7 women die within five years.
If you need to apply for SSDI benefits, don’t go through the application process alone. A good Social Security disability lawyer has been through the process many times and can put that experience to work on your behalf. In southern California, if you need to begin receiving SSDI benefits, make the call and speak to an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney today.