Massachusetts Social Security Disability Lawyers Blog
President Donald J. Trump has vowed deep spending cuts across the board, save for the military. However, Mr. Trump was able to win the election with the support of many working-class voters.
To garner their support, Trump made promises during the campaign to avoid reductions of certain federal programs on which many supporters relied – one of those being Medicaid, another being the Social Security Old Age and Retirement benefits and the other Social Security Disability Insurance.
As we have seen, with the economy depressed in many rural areas of America, many hard- working people are out of work and unable to find new jobs. They are unable or unwilling to go back to school at their ages to learn a new trade, and many of them are disabled after many years of hard work that takes a toll on the human body. They are now discovering that it is possible to shed the stigma associated with being on an “entitlements” program and are applying for disability benefits in record numbers.
First, as our Boston SSDI attorneys can explain, SSDI is not an entitlements program in any way. When you work, you have money taken each paycheck, and some of that money goes towards the disability benefits fund. This is like paying your premium with a private insurance program. Every quarter you work (three months), you earn what are known as quarterly credits. You need to have a certain number of quarterly credits upon your date of disability to qualify for disability benefits. The specific number of quarters that you will need to qualify for disability benefits will depend on your age at the date of onset of disability.
Since you have to work and pay into the system similar to paying a premium for a private long-term disability program, it is hard to see how this is an actually an entitlement. Nonetheless, many are concerned that Mr. Trump plans to cut disability benefits despite his pledge not to do so when on the campaign trail.
As discussed in a recent article from Roll Call, the new White House budget proposal shows that Medicaid and Social Security disability benefits may be taking a major funding hit. This is part of his plan to cut spending and balance the federal budget while concomitantly providing a major increase in military funding.
This budget proposal, which is expected to be changed in the Senate and the House, reflects roughly $800 billion in cuts to so-called entitled programs, and this list includes the disability benefits program as well as local programs. This would create an extreme hardship on many people, as there is no distinguishing between who gets denied benefits, based upon where they live or who they voted for.
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:
Trump Wants $800 Billion, 10-Year Cut in Entitlement Programs, May 10, 2017, By Paul M. Krawzak, Roll Call
More Blog Entries:
SSDI Appeal Results in Affirmation of Denial, Feb. 15, 2017, Boston SSDI Attorney Blog