Who's Getting DI? in Dis & Dat on ZeroHedge

[littlemissmartypants]

Social Security Online Benefit Data

http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/totaliz.cgi

Social Security pays benefits to non-residents who have lived and worked (and paid payroll taxes) in the US. The info is available for 24 countries. All in, nothing mind blowing, some details:

- 192,000 people, now living in their home countries, get SS benefits. The total benefits paid in 2012 was $500m.

- Canada has the most number of citizens getting SS benefits (53K). Japan has 38k, Germany 22k and UK 18k. The full list (Link).

-Canada has the most number on Disability, number two on the DI list is Germany. (Possibly the layoffs at Deutsche Bank led to back injuries?)



Anyway, what's missing are the numbers for Mexico. My guess is that the bucks SS heads South is larger then that headed North. I think it is larger than the total for all the 24 countries where data is available. I have asked for the #'s, if I get them I'll let you know. Don't hold your breathe for that article.

http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-01-24/dis-dat

[JDPriestly]

1. A little money trickles back into the US from some of the other countries.

Some Americans have worked overseas. Some have even been injured overseas. Why is this a story?

[littlemissmartypants]

2. My take was that these are non-citizens of the USA

That are getting this "benefit" in their home countries. What was your thought?

[JDPriestly]

3. Can't tell.

If they are on disability, they might be American citizens who find they can live better on that very limited income overseas than here. They could also be American citizens with family to take care of them in some other country.

It's hard to get accepted for SSI.

I don't know whether this is about SSI or about Worker's Comp coverage. That makes a huge difference. But in the case of Worker's Comp, the person would have had to have been hurt on the job in the US.

If it is SSI, I think they would probably have to be a US citizen or have worked to be eligible for benefits in the US. I don't know the rules on this.