That 10.9 (actually 10.996) mil number is DIB only, FYI. SSI adds another 3.3 mil unique recipients (some folks receive just II, just XVI, and both) such that the total of americans under 65 receiving benefits predicated on their own disability is 14.292 million, or about 30% more.
Perfect example of semantics--Title II benefits are called disability benefits, so this chart can get away with making it seem like the total of disabled people getting benefits from SSA for their own disabiltiy is 10.996 mil when they conveniently ignore SSI just because its name is "supplemental security income" instead of "disability benefits," though one only receives those SSI benefits because of his disability.
sure it does. the chart suggests 3.4 percent of the population (counting older people who arent even eligible for disability or ssi benefits, mind you) is receiving disability benefits when it reality it is 4.5 percent. 4.5% of everyone.
Looking at the census, 65+ year olds made up over 13% of folks in 2012, so let's say it's 14-15% now. That leaves roughly 272 million folks younger than 65 (i.e., folks who can receive these benefits). Now all of a sudden we have 5.25% of everyone under 65 receiving disability benefits. This accurate number is 54.4 percent more than the chart suggests.
Is 5.25% still small? Sure. But the chart is misleading and suggests a percentage that is inaccurate. Yes, only 3.4% of everyone receives DIB, but that isn't the best percentage to use when talking about the population and disability payments because that number doesn't take into account SSI and the fact that folks over 65 do not get disability benefits.
I think the much more important data is that 5.25% of all americans possibly eligible to receive payments based on disabiltiy from SSA do so.
I keep coming back to the 57,000,000 allegedly disabled. How many of them not receiving DIB because they are receiving retirement benefits? I would imagine that a very large number of retired persons would also qualify for DIB or SSI disability if it was available to them.
But do not forget that if you are 50 or older, you do not actually have to be incapable of engaging in substantial gainful activity; you just have to be limited to sedentary work (50+) or light work (55+), be unable to perform PRW, and have no transferable skills (with direct transferability required if 55+). Anyone familiar with disability cases knows how easy it is to eliminate transferability of skills and any semi-skilled or skilled work and how easy it is to make a valid rationale for light work or even sedentary work. There are hundreds of different jobs, all existing in significant numbers in the national economy, that a person limited to sedentary or light work could perform, but we pretend they are disabled because older workers have trouble being hired (which is supposed to be irrelevant to the disability analysis).
Many of the 46 million not on benefits are probably retirement age and not eligible for DIB/SSI based on disability, but a sizeable number are probably gainfully employed because they are "disabled" under the ADA, but still capable of working -- for example, my coworker in the wheelchair with an amputation; he is certainly "disabled" under the ADA and would easily qualify for DIB under Listing 1.05 if he stopped working; however, he works with reasonable accommodations and therefore has a disability but is not disabled for purposes of entitlement to benefits.
Don't forget the impact illiteracy has on the numbers and that any day now we will have an additional 50,000,000 + illiterate Hispanics that will potentially qualify for benefits..
wow, nice catch. I totally forgot about under 18 folks not being eligible for DIB (for some reason DAC popped into my mind when first starting my number-crunching as a reason to leave kids in, though DAC is 18+, too). I blew it.
Subtracting children under 18 (23.5% in 2012 (or about 75 million people), probably closer to 24% now), we have roughly 197 million--let's call it 200 million working-aged folks. So that yields 5.5% of working-age adults getting DIB. Figuring out the total number of working-age adults getting DIB/SSI/both is going to take me too much time, but let's just go ahead and assume that the SSI-only crowd adds at least a percent or two. So yeah, 7% or so of all working-age adults are disabled and collecting benefits from SSA predicated upon their own disabilities. Astounding. That's one out of 14-15 people between 18-65.
What is the definition of a disability for those 57,000,000 Americans alleged to be disabled? A listing level impairment? Or a "severe" impairment?
ReplyDeleteProbably the ADA definition of something that interferes with a major life activity.
ReplyDeleteThat 10.9 (actually 10.996) mil number is DIB only, FYI. SSI adds another 3.3 mil unique recipients (some folks receive just II, just XVI, and both) such that the total of americans under 65 receiving benefits predicated on their own disability is 14.292 million, or about 30% more.
ReplyDeletePerfect example of semantics--Title II benefits are called disability benefits, so this chart can get away with making it seem like the total of disabled people getting benefits from SSA for their own disabiltiy is 10.996 mil when they conveniently ignore SSI just because its name is "supplemental security income" instead of "disability benefits," though one only receives those SSI benefits because of his disability.
Read deeper into statistics, folks.
proof http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/2014-04.html
ReplyDeleteUh, ok, let's just call it an even 15 mil, your bean counting doesn't alter the chart's main point.
ReplyDeletesure it does. the chart suggests 3.4 percent of the population (counting older people who arent even eligible for disability or ssi benefits, mind you) is receiving disability benefits when it reality it is 4.5 percent. 4.5% of everyone.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the census, 65+ year olds made up over 13% of folks in 2012, so let's say it's 14-15% now. That leaves roughly 272 million folks younger than 65 (i.e., folks who can receive these benefits). Now all of a sudden we have 5.25% of everyone under 65 receiving disability benefits. This accurate number is 54.4 percent more than the chart suggests.
Is 5.25% still small? Sure. But the chart is misleading and suggests a percentage that is inaccurate. Yes, only 3.4% of everyone receives DIB, but that isn't the best percentage to use when talking about the population and disability payments because that number doesn't take into account SSI and the fact that folks over 65 do not get disability benefits.
I think the much more important data is that 5.25% of all americans possibly eligible to receive payments based on disabiltiy from SSA do so.
I keep coming back to the 57,000,000 allegedly disabled. How many of them not receiving DIB because they are receiving retirement benefits? I would imagine that a very large number of retired persons would also qualify for DIB or SSI disability if it was available to them.
ReplyDeletenot to mention that the chart should also subtract those under age 18 (not eligible for DIB) from the total (along with subtacting those over 65).
ReplyDeleteNow we are at more like 7% of the working age population receiving DIB and an even higher percentange receiving some combintation of DIB/SSI.
But do not forget that if you are 50 or older, you do not actually have to be incapable of engaging in substantial gainful activity; you just have to be limited to sedentary work (50+) or light work (55+), be unable to perform PRW, and have no transferable skills (with direct transferability required if 55+). Anyone familiar with disability cases knows how easy it is to eliminate transferability of skills and any semi-skilled or skilled work and how easy it is to make a valid rationale for light work or even sedentary work. There are hundreds of different jobs, all existing in significant numbers in the national economy, that a person limited to sedentary or light work could perform, but we pretend they are disabled because older workers have trouble being hired (which is supposed to be irrelevant to the disability analysis).
ReplyDeleteMany of the 46 million not on benefits are probably retirement age and not eligible for DIB/SSI based on disability, but a sizeable number are probably gainfully employed because they are "disabled" under the ADA, but still capable of working -- for example, my coworker in the wheelchair with an amputation; he is certainly "disabled" under the ADA and would easily qualify for DIB under Listing 1.05 if he stopped working; however, he works with reasonable accommodations and therefore has a disability but is not disabled for purposes of entitlement to benefits.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the impact illiteracy has on the numbers and that any day now we will have an additional 50,000,000 + illiterate Hispanics that will potentially qualify for benefits..
ReplyDelete4@ 3:42
ReplyDeletewow, nice catch. I totally forgot about under 18 folks not being eligible for DIB (for some reason DAC popped into my mind when first starting my number-crunching as a reason to leave kids in, though DAC is 18+, too). I blew it.
Subtracting children under 18 (23.5% in 2012 (or about 75 million people), probably closer to 24% now), we have roughly 197 million--let's call it 200 million working-aged folks. So that yields 5.5% of working-age adults getting DIB. Figuring out the total number of working-age adults getting DIB/SSI/both is going to take me too much time, but let's just go ahead and assume that the SSI-only crowd adds at least a percent or two. So yeah, 7% or so of all working-age adults are disabled and collecting benefits from SSA predicated upon their own disabilities. Astounding. That's one out of 14-15 people between 18-65.