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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Trump administration has just declared war on Social Security
https://www.salon.com/2019/12/20/the-trump-administration-has-just-declared-war-on-social-security_partner/An attack on any part of Social Security is an attack on the entire system and all current and future beneficiaries. The latest proposal from Donald Trumps administration, which is designed to rip benefits away from hundreds of thousands of Americans with disabilities, amounts to a declaration of war on Social Security.
The Trump administration proposal would require millions of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries to re-prove their eligibility for benefits as often as every six months far more frequently than is currently the case. There is no justification for this policy. The United States already has some of the strictest eligibility criteria for disability benefits in the world. More than half of all claims are denied.
We should be making it easier for workers to claim the Social Security benefits theyve earned with every paycheck, not harder. And ripping benefits away from current beneficiaries, who rely on them to survive, is even worse.
We know what the effects of the Trump proposal would be, because Ronald Reagan implemented a very similar benefit cut back in the 1980s. Reagans policy ripped away the benefits of 200,000 Americans with disabilities. The New York Times reported that people with obvious physical and mental disabilities lost their benefits without having been interviewed.
Ultimately, Reagan was forced to reverse his attack on Social Security after massive public outcry, and bipartisan condemnation from Congress but not before 21,176 people died, including several who died by suicide, because their benefits were cut off.
. . .
But if they are allowed to get away with this attack, it will be only the beginning. They want to destroy every part of Social Security, including retirement benefits, and turn it over to their criminal friends on Wall Street.
We must stop Trumps plan. The Social Security Administration is collecting comments on the proposal until the end of January. You can comment opposing the plan here.
Everyone must also call their elected officials. Congressional condemnation played a huge role in forcing Ronald Reagan to reverse his version of the attack, and it can stop Trump in his tracks.
If we let the politicians in Washington, D.C., take away some peoples earned benefits, it means they can take away all of our earned benefits.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)he does back down due to public backlash. It will hurt him.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Merry band of grifters and imposters stepped on the third rail of Political destruction. Oh how this next campaign will be full of made to order Ads and stories that will complete the demise of the Rethugs once and for all.
Response to CousinIT (Original post)
Haggis for Breakfast This message was self-deleted by its author.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,462 posts)I and probably everyone that needs social security trump will try to hurt us,screw with us.
Those 6months reviews are abuse and gaslighting. I get terrible anxiety when I have to deal with beauracracy because it's faceless.
I am so angry,scared and so are countless others. Vote to remove the fucker take him away. He and his republicans are evil hearted monsters. If I end up homeless and starving, (when I was homeless I went psychotic and went to the hospital. It was a very terrifying time.) So if I can't feed myself can't pay rent,I will have nothing to lose, I know I would eventually die in a few days to weeks because of diabeties, I'll have nothing to lose,and vengeance in my mind.
And so will millions of other people who need SSI ssdi and other benifiets too.
Fuck you trump and your rich boy club,criminal allies,the stupid magat white people,the Evangelical creeps that worship you,and every republican monster, I hate you now I'll hate your kind forever but if you remove my survival I will truly have nothing to lose.
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)terminally ill veteran who still upholds the oath we all took.
You don't mess with SS!
Quackers
(2,256 posts)Im in my late 30s. Im a veteran. On the civilian side, I was a pilot and also a Class A Driver. Ive lost my flight certification and had to surrender my CDL. I just finished my first SS review and was approved for continuing disability.
I have a wife and 3 kids that benefit from my SSD. If I lose it, I will not become a burden to them. I will end it. Im not trying to get sympathy. Its just a simple fact. The only reason I havent before is because they benefit from me being alive. The world we live in sucks. I really hope that this legislation doesnt make it very far.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,462 posts)I think of ending it too. But not until
I make it known to the republicans and trump about what is wrong with them.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Sorry it has to even be a concern.
mahina
(17,602 posts)Im sure you will make it again. This rule is rank cruelty and wont stand in the long term.
So few make it their first time, your case must be irrefutable.
Good luck. Hearts with you.
rickyhall
(4,889 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Tomorrow would be nice. God, I hate that motherfucker with a passion!
Demovictory9
(32,417 posts)appalachiablue
(41,102 posts)calimary
(81,085 posts)New Breed Leader
(622 posts)SCVDem
(5,103 posts)The Sports Arena scene where E.G. Robinson made his choice.
Nice way to go.
Not so nice a way to end up.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)from 1976 through 1980 and it literally saved my life. I want more people to be able to say that.
stopdiggin
(11,235 posts)sure there's your occasional grifter or slacker (I guess that's human nature) -- but that issue is largely exaggerated, and hardly the responsibility of the deserving. The answer here should NOT be to make everyone in the system (government and recipient) miserable with redundancy.
left a comment at the link. thanks.
Buckeyeblue
(5,499 posts)JDC
(10,114 posts)New Breed Leader
(622 posts)Started in September. At first I was fine, didn't think anything of it...until I read this article 2 weeks ago. Now I'm scared to death.
CousinIT
(9,217 posts)MASSIVE outcry is needed against this.
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)Since my condition is not expected to improve, I was sent the short form. I answered the questions directed at me and then brought it to my doctor at the VA where she answered one question and signed her name. Sent it back and not long later I got a letter stating that no further review was necessary at that time. By the time my next review is due, 5-7 years from my last review, I'll most likely have reached the age, or be very near it, to switch over to regular SS.
Astraea
(464 posts)This is my second time applying and I've been waiting over 18 months just to see a judge... still no court date.
This post gave me yet another reason to hate Ronald Reagan. And Trump.
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)Told my wife I just couldn't work anymore and had decided to take the advice of my doctor who said I should be on disability and sent in my application and paperwork in October of 2011. I got a notification from SSA 3 months later in January approving my application. But about a week before getting that letter, I had received a big check from SSA. There was no paperwork with that check and I assumed I had been approved for SSDI and the check was for a year's worth of back payments but I held on to the check until i got official notification which arrived a week later.
CousinIT
(9,217 posts)I'm happy yours was. But at least half are not. Your experience is far from everyone else's.
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)Skidmore
(37,364 posts)Punishment to the people for impeachment and money grab from poor and elderly for all his supporters who whine about "their money."
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)Last edited Sun Dec 29, 2019, 09:08 AM - Edit history (2)
"When a Social Security Disability case is labeled as MINE (Medical Improvement Not Expected) it means that the SSA does not believe that the beneficiarys condition is likely to improve at any point in the future and that he or she will continue to remain eligible for Social Security Disability benefits until they reach retirement age, at which point the disability benefits are converted to Social Security Retirement benefits."
https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/glossary/medical-improvement-not-expected
This part of the article in the OP is incorrect
"The Trump administration proposal would require millions of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries to re-prove their eligibility for benefits as often as every six months far more frequently than is currently the case. "
Under current rules, those SSDI recipients categorized as Medical Improvement Expected, already get reviewed every six to 18 months.
"If your case is labeled as MIE (Medical Improvement Expected) you can expect to receive a continuing eligibility review within 6 to 18 months of being approved for Social Security Disability benefits. At this time the SSA will determine whether or not your disabling condition has indeed improved. If it has improved to the point where you are able to return to work, your Social Security Disability benefits will be discontinued. If your condition has not improved, your benefits will continue and if your case remains in the MIE category, you will receive another continuing eligibility review in another 6 to 18 months."
https://www.disability-benefits-help.org/glossary/medical-improvement-expected
The correct information about the proposed change:
"The proposed rule change would create a fourth category: Medical Improvement Likely, which would mandate disability reviews every two years, creating an additional 2.6 million reviews over the first 10-year period."
https://www.inquirer.com/news/social-security-ssi-ssdi-trump-administration-disability-20191212.html?utm_campaign=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&cid=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=social
From my reading, it appears that those of us categorized by the SSA as "Medical Improvement Not Expected" will continue to be reviewed every 5-7 years and during the review, we will get the short form CDR questionnaire to fill out and return.
Info about the CDR forms:
"If your condition is not expected to improve, then the SSA will send you the Disability Update Report when your claim is being reviewed. This is a short 2-page report that you are required to complete and return to the SSA. Otherwise, you will be sent the more detailed Continuing Disability Review Report, which is 10 pages long."
https://brossfrankel.com/2019/07/14/continuing-disability-review-cdr/
Info on who most likely will be moved to the proposed category:
"An estimated 4.4 million beneficiaries would be included in that designation, many of them children and so-called Step 5 recipients, an internal Social Security classification, said Jennifer Burdick, supervising attorney with Community Legal Services in Philadelphia."
https://www.inquirer.com/news/social-security-ssi-ssdi-trump-administration-disability-20191212.html?utm_campaign=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&cid=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=social
Info on who are categorized as Step 5 recipients:
"STEP 5:Evaluation Step 5 Can you do any other type of work? If you cannot do the work you did in the last 15 years, Social Security looks to see if you can do any other type of work. They consider your age, education, past work experience, and transferable skills, and they review the job demands of occupations that were determined by the Department of Labor in a Dictionary that was last updated in 1991. If you cannot do any other kind of work, your claim will be approved."
https://www.disabilitydecision.com/disability-claims-process/
I and many others receiving SSDI are Step 3:
"STEP 3: Is your condition found in the list of disabling impairments? Social Security has a listing of impairments for each of the major body systems. Links to Listings.
If your disability is described in the listing, that automatically means you are disabled. If your condition is not on the list, Social Security has to decide if it is of equal severity to an impairment on the list. If it is, your claim is approved. If it is not, we go to the next step."
https://www.disabilitydecision.com/disability-claims-process/
CousinIT
(9,217 posts)It's still a cut. Still a first step to getting their hands on the rest of disability benefits and social security. It's just a first step.
I will reiterate that your experience is not everyone's experience. Some people have to fight for months or years to get SSDI, even if their condition may improve. Many have to get a lawyer or local politician involved.
Americans MUST fight religiously any cuts to SSDI/SSI/Medicare/social security. Because one cut leads to the next. And the next. And the next. Particularly with this psychopathic cult.
This isn't about saving money. It's about punishing those who apply and making it harder than it already is to get benefits - temporarily or permanently. Many classified as 'MINE' may be moved to 'MIE'.
"This won't affect ME" is no excuse to not act.
"This didn't affect ME" is no excuse to not act.
"I got mine right away" is no excuse to not act.
"I got mine" is no excuse to not act.
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)They will continue to have their cases reviewed every 6 to 18 months or so as has been done for years. Those placed in the new proposed category will have their cases reviewed every 2 years and just because one is reviewed, that doesn't mean they will automatically lose benefits. If they are still deemed to be disabled, they will continue to receive benefits. All of us on SSDI get reviewed at some point. Even those of us who are Step 3 and are categorized as "Medical Improvement Not Expected". I went through a review 2 years ago. No biggy. And I might still get another before my SSDI converts over to regular SS. I'm not worried about it.
KentuckyWoman
(6,679 posts)One guy puts a bomb in his shoe, suddenly the entire flying public has to have shoes inspected.
One person one time manages to vote in two different precincts and suddenly OMG massive voter fraud everyone gets to go through hoops to prove they can vote.
One person defrauds SSDI and suddenly we have to make everyone keep proving it.
Keep us all fussing with paperwork, standing in lines and completely annoyed, and we won't have the energy to fight back.
Republicans at work....
Kaleva
(36,238 posts)This does not appear to affect those who are classified as MINE (medical improvement not expected) in any way other then to change the frequency of the review from the current 5-7 year window to a 6 year timetable.
The new proposed group will fall between the current MIE (medical improvement expected) and MIP (medical improvement possible) groups and will be called MIL (medical improvement likely). The MIE currently has a review timetable of 6-18 months and that will remain unchanged. The MIP group has a review timetable of 3 years and that will also remain unchanged. The proposed MIL group will have a review timetable of 2 years. The new group will consist of some who are currently in the MIE group and some who are currently in the MIP group so the frequency of the reviews is not going to change much.
"E. What Rules Are Not Changing
We are not changing the Medical Improvement Review Standard that we use to determine whether a person continues to meet the disability requirements of the Act.[77]"
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/18/2019-24700/rules-regarding-the-frequency-and-notice-of-continuing-disability-reviews
In the above link, I do not see any proposal to change how SSA determines if one is disabled.