IT seems very clear to me the irrational thinking and decision making of the Social Security Dissabiity Department. While reading the paper this morning, I was irritated about a specific article in which a man who was a police officer for 23 years was shot in the chest by a criminal. He sustained irreversible nerve damage and cardiac damage. The bullet is still loged in his chest even as we spesk. The officer was forced to retire after trying to work, but was unable to do so due to the extent of his injuries.
You would think that a hard working piloce officer who helped protect our streets from the darkeness of criminality would not even be able to depend on the people in whick he protected? Protecting civilians of our society, workers of the social security administration as well.
My mother is going through the same thing. She severly injured her back in the job. She is suffering from moderate- severe nerve damage and immobilization problems. And just as with the police officer, the Social Security Administration is taking her for a ride as well.
They mailed her a questionare last week and asked her if she had iomproved,had physical therapy, or had increased mobility. How could she have improved on these things if worker's compensation cut-off her benefits before she was even half way done with her physical therapy? How could her condition have improved? She has no longer has health insurance at even attend physical therapy, and since her worker's compensation has recently cut off her supplemental checks, she can't even afford to get billed for, or pay for her physical therapy. Again I ask all who reads this, How could she have gotten any better? How.
This alarms and angers me. In both cases, my mother's and the oficer's : here were to people who were honest, hard working, middles class americans who asked for nothing more than the help of our so called "For the people" government, and got nothing but more heartche, mental drain, and red tape!
Do you think that he should have to endure grueling phycial tests by the physicians the Social Security Administration so they can try to push him to work with a bad heart?
Reply and let me know what you think.
to view the actual article go to: www.tribunerevie.com. search item b-7(5/28/2008)
The SSA is paying benefits to people who aren't or are no longer injured or disabled. A lot of money goes into proving it. A friend's neighbor was claiming SSD benefits for a back injury while working under the table as a construction worker. Basically, he was injured, but when he got better he got really greedy. It happens too often. Now the people that really do need help are treated as if they're doing the same thing.
Another problem is lawyers. Have you seen the commercials? "We can get you money for any illness." The system is screwed up. Rather than give the benefit if the doubt to people, they assume everyone is trying to take advantage.
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
A couple of summers ago I worked as an intern at a social security office. One of my responsibilities was to call people who were filing for SSD and ask them questions about their disability. It was one of the most heartbreaking things I've experienced. I would have to ask people to describe, in detail, their disability and all that was in involved: pain, medication, side effects, etc. All I wanted to do was say "I'm so sorry," but instead I had to just keep quiet and write it down. After I spent a lot of time re-filing past claims and speaking with others at the social security office, I began to recognize who would be denied and who would be accepted. This didn't help when I talked to these people on the phone, because I would listen to them list to me all of their ailments knowing all the while that they had a very slim chance of receiving disability.
I understand that there are people who are abusing the system, which is why it is such a process to receive SSD. This is the same arguement for welfare reform as well. My concern is that there will always be those who will put all of their effort in to manipulating the system, but the vast majority who don't shouldn't be punished. I am very sorry about your mother, it is unfair that she should have this stress on top of dealing with a disability.
Kieboodles-
I definitely agree with you. thanks for the comment about my mom. The main thing that bother's me is that so many people who don't need it get it ver quickly, but, as for the people who actuallyhave a dissability, they get hassled. It is just disgusting how much stress a person has to go through to recieve benefits from the government. There are people who are perfectly capable of working, but are on social security dissability. It is just unreal to me. So much injustice is being done in the way the social security administration is being ran. It is definitely a problem that will continue to grow with no chance of getting better in sight. When will our government figure out that it is the hard,honest worker's that make this country an honorable place to be. I hope that this, as well as welfare, become more reformed and more just for the people TRUELY needing them. I welcome you to view my upcoming new blog concerning current major problems that chould be addressed before the new president arrives in office.