A Look at How Trump Could Impact Social Security Disability

Since the surprise election of president-elect Donald Trump, many are not sure what it will mean for millions of Americans and how the U.S. will interact with the rest of the world moving forward.  Another uncertainty stems from the fact the president-elect has not said much about what he intends to do with the Social Security Old Age and Retirement program and the Social Security disability programs.

All programs are administered by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), and there are actually two disability programs: the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.  The SSDI program is for people who worked and paid federal taxes and are said to have paid into the system, so they can apply for benefits when they become disabled.  The SSI program is for disabled children in low-income households and disabled and blind adults and the elderly who were never able to work due to their respective disabilities.While Trump may not be doing anything to directly help 11 million disabled Americans who draw a benefits check each month, according to Fox News, Trump’s plans with the oil and gas industry will indirectly help the disabled by giving them a cost of living allowance (COLA) increase.

While this may seem strange, the author argues that Trump will remove restrictions that will allow the oil and gas industry, particularly in West Texas, to raise the price at the pumps significantly.  However, since the COLA is set according to the price of goods and services which will all go up if the price if oil and gas goes up a lot, the COLA will be adjusted upward. This is what happened during the George W. Bush administration.

Whether or not you believe that the price of every going up will not outweigh the COLA increase is another story, but this is certainly something at a least the author of this Fox News article believes is something to which those on Social Security disability benefits should pay close attention in the near future.

Regardless of your political beliefs and what this may mean to beneficiaries in the future, as our Boston disability attorneys can explain, the SSA is presently making it very difficult for new applicants to qualify for benefits as a means of saving money.  It is not that they will admit to rejecting qualified applicants, but when you apply, you are likely to get a letter from SSA saying that you were denied for benefits because you are not disabled.

The letter will likely say that after a thorough review, the agency found that while you have some limitations that prevent you from working your old job, there are types of employment in the local or national economy in which you are capable of working.  They will also likely say that they cannot tell if you work at your previous employment because they do not have enough information about your work history.  The letter will also recommend you contact an attorney which might be the only true statement on the denial letter.

If you or a loved one is seeking Social Security Disability Insurance in Boston, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.

Additional Resources:

This Trump Policy Could Positively Impact Social Security COLAs, November 26, 2016, By Sean Williams, Fox Business

More Blog Entries:

Worker Taxed Thousands for Social Security Disability Benefits He Never Received, June 21, 2016, Boston SSDI Lawyer Blog