For Florida residents who rely on receiving federal assistance for illnesses, injuries and conditions, the political climate and financial ramifications of budgetary issues was a constant cause for concern. The financial facts of Social Security Disability (SSD) and its solvency have been an ongoing point of debate for an extended period. The need for Congress to come up with a budget and try to address these financial realities left many wondering how they would be affected by the Social Security Administration and changes that might be afoot.
In the new budget agreement, changes were made that will bolster the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program. Since the finances supporting SSDI were dwindling and those who are recipients of assistance under this program were confronted with losing as much as 20 percent of their benefits in 2016, this had to be dealt with in the course of formulating a new budget. Congress handled this problem in several ways. It took money that was planned to be put into Social Security retirement and shifted it to disability. The payroll tax will also have a small percentage taken from it to refund disability. This will keep the benefits program solvent until 2022.
In addition, the budget that was agreed to will deal with the increasing number of people who are receiving SSD benefits. Since people are living longer, more are suffering from issues that make them eligible to receive disability. With that comes the need for more money to pay for it. People who are on disability tend to stay on it, it is more important not just to have the money to fund it but to catch those who might not need it any longer or don’t need it at all and remove them.
Since SSD information is key to those who are seeking and receiving benefits, it is wise to keep track of SSA news and issues under current discussion. These changes under the budget agreement are key to the program to help those in need. Anyone who has an issue in which they believe they should be considered for approval of disability benefits should of course discuss the matter with an experienced legal professional to walk them through all the legal and practical requirements to be approved and receive the assistance they desperately need.
Source: Metro News, “New federal budget includes Social Security Disability fix,” Hoppy Kercheval, Nov. 3, 2015
