Jan 13, 2015

Number Of People Drawing Social Security Disability Benefits Leveling Off

     As of November 2013 there were 8,941,660 people drawing Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) under the Social Security Act. As of November 2014, the most recent month for which numbers are available, there were 8,956,269 people drawing DIB, an increase of 14,609 people or less than a fifth of one percent, from the year before. By contrast, the number of people drawing DIB went up by 136,307 or 2% between November 2012 and November 2013. In each of the last two months reported, the number of people drawing DIB has actually gone down.
     Social Security's Office of Chief Actuary had forecast that there would be 9,014,000 people drawing DIB by the end of 2014. Unless there was a huge jump in the number of DIB recipients last month, the forecast was off by a not insignificant number.
     We'll see how 2015 and 2016 go but it's entirely possible that the number of people drawing DIB will be going down as the debate rages in 2016 on what to do about the impending exhaustion of the Disability Trust Fund. Also, it's not clear just how impending that exhaustion date will be in 2016.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

lots of new CDI units...one in Detroit too.

Anonymous said...

Good for the CDI units. I hope they do their job. As far as the DIB rolls decreasing, it is nothing more than those on DIB becoming full retirement age and dropping off the DIB and switching into retirement benefits. Expect this for the next 8-10 years until the Baby Boomers dry up..

Anonymous said...

Interesting. I was toying with the idea that the ACA has allowed more average citizens access to decent healthcare - which has decreased the number of blue collar workers who become injured and file for disability benefits simply because it is the only avenue left to them for a secure income and medical care.

Unknown said...

This has to be a great thing happening to be able to have the levels of social security disability being taken out. Something that really is interesting is that you mentioned that the one year growth was actually 1% of what it was the previous year. That to me seems like there is something that is has some factors around it that would be interesting to learn about. Thank you for sharing. http://www.marzella-law.com/social-security-disability.html