Disabled Population Grows

I had not noticed this previously. Social Security's budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2008 includes figures for the projected growth in the number of people receiving Social Security benefits in FY 2008. The expected growth in the number of disability beneficiaries is 327,000, which compares to a projected growth of only 575,000 in old age and survivors benefits. The people now going on old age and survivor benefits are primarily from the baby bust generation, born during the Great Depression and World War II, while the people going on disability benefits are primarily from the baby boom generation. This demographic difference shows up in these numbers may be even more dramatically expressed in the SSI projections, which actually show a tiny decline in the number of people expected to draw SSI benefits on account of age, while showing a big increase in those drawing SSI benefits on account of disability.