The same party that passed massive tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy has a new plan to attack and undermine Social Security disability benefits. This comes in the form of the so-called Return to Work Act.
Is You Is Or Is You Aint Gonna Get Better?
This proposed law, introduced in both the House of Representative and the Senate, would split Social Security disability beneficiaries into two groups. One would be those disabled persons who are expected to get better. The second would be the disabled for whom no medical improvement is likely. For those in the first group, the Return to Work Act would be very harmful.
If enacted, the Return To Work Act would put a limit on how long those disabled who are expected to get better could receive benefits. When that time is up, Social Security would take away their monthly checks. But, so as to show that they are not heartless, the Republicans behind this proposed new law would allow the disabled whom Social Security took benefits from to reapply for those benefits. How generous.
The Problems With This Act Are Obvious
The problems with this act are obvious to anyone not committed to gutting the US Treasury with tax cuts for the rich. First of all, who is going to determine who is likely to get better? Is Social Security going to hire a group of Psychics who will read tea leaves or Tarot cards? If this becomes law, I strongly suspect that Social Security would say that all the disabled who are not terminal are going to get better. It’s just how Social Security works.
But, when will they get better? Will their health return just in time to coincide with an arbitrary limit set by Social Security? Also, can Social Security handle the crush of people who are forced to reapply for benefits after their time is up? They cannot timely handle the claims already in the system. Finally, what happens to the disabled who reapply and have to wait for 2+ years for Social Security to process their new applications?
Let Them Know You Think This Is A Bad Idea
