Lately, we hear on the nightly news, how many Americans are added on disability, i.e., workman’s compensation, social security, and private insurance also. I worked for twenty-two years with a state department of labor, in some states, referred to as department of human resources. I saw firsthand workers who were injured or disabled on the job. I saw many others who were injured while on vacation or at home, and others who claimed injuries that were not there.The government is encouraging our work force to become dependent upon the politicians by applying for welfare, disability compensation, food-stamps, college grants for single women, for minorities, etc.
Daily, I see commercials on TV from Law firms that deal only, or mainly with disability claims. This causes me to see RED. They are able, with apparently the cooperation of the Social Security Administration, to ‘win’ cases for their clients, who were previously turned down by the agency.
A major problem, as I remember it, was that many workers, aided by their lawyers and even the Social Security Agency, only wanted to work in their trained occupation, but their disability prevented them from doing so. However, most of them could have worked–and should–be willing to change occupations, and training programs were available to train them. I remember one insurance company, Travelers, that encouraged those on their disability insurance, to take other work they were able to perform. This company was diligent in ferreting out those who were fraudulently on disability insurance today, who do not want to work if they can stay at home and receive an income without working.
The Americans With Disabilities Act, passed with bipartisan support in 1990 at the urging of then-President George H.W. Bush, enshrines the notion that every American can and should hold a job regardless of physical or mental limitations.Under the ADA, employers who refuse to hire or promote the disabled may be liable for money damages in federal court.Social Security Disability Insurance, however, pays people who can show that they are too mentally or physically impaired to remain in the labor force. In short, for many workers, SSDI creates a quasi-right not to work. Social Security Disability Insurance’s incentive not to work. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-lane-social-security-disability-insurances-incentive-not-to-work/2012/07/30/gJQA8UvHLX_story.html.Many employers do not want to hire those on disability compensation due to being burned by previous men and women they have hired who were on disability.The real downside of the many who are fraudulently on disability insurance discourage workers who are genuinely disabled from applying, and when they do, are turned down many times, due to suspicious Social Security agents reviewing their applications. They in turn, must apply to lawyers in an attempt to overturn the Social Security decision.
Those who truly are disabled and can not work due to a disability, are the real victims of this fraud, along with tax payers who are supporting the system.
