Let my explain why Social Security has a rule that allows a few severely disabled people onto benefits, in part, because of their inability to read and write in English, even though they live in Puerto Rico and are able to read and write in Spanish. It's fairly simple. Social Security is a national program. What is the agency supposed to do? Put someone on disability benefits when
they're living in New York but cut them off once they move to
Puerto Rico? Deny their claim while they're living in Puerto Rico but
allow it as soon as they move to New York? It's not only impractical to have different rules for different locations; it's probably unconstitutional. What are you going to say next -- that inability to read and write in English has no effect upon a person's ability to hold down a job? You're not going to be able to do a surveillance system monitor job if you can't communicate in English. You can still be an agricultural laborer or a landscaper but when you get to the point in the grid regulations where ability to communicate in English is an issue, laboring jobs are already off the table because of the claimant's physical impairments. In fact, most jobs are off the table throughout most of the country if you can't communicate in English. So what do you want? A rule that may seem a bit odd when applied to a handful of people in Puerto Rico or a rule that's very unfair when applied across most of the country?
7 comments:
I don't know, maybe an exception to the rule for people who speak Spanish and live in a place where Spanish is a national (or whatever terminology whatever legal state-type entity Puerto Rico is these days) language?
I think if a person speaks spanish only in a spanish us territory then there should be no rule allowance. SSDI is going broke.
These grid rules, notwithstanding the lanquage provisions,to me seemed to be created by old biased ssa management and or congress.
Why should an older person capable of light work during five,eight hour days a week receive disability benefits?
@3:24 stop talking about the program going broke and start talking about working with Senator Warren to fix the financial inflow into the program.
"financial inflow into the program"
Great idea! Where is the money coming from? Am i the only person watching the monthly job reports on tv?
The last one was terrible and there ain't enough rich S.O.B to drain the cash out of. Program reform is the only way starting with the grids.
What's wrong with learning to speak English? Unless they have a mental disability, it shouldn't be impossible to learn functional language skills.
Or in the case of a Russian Engineer that came to this country on his own and claims that he is illiterate? Or the Hispanic cab driver from New York city with 20 years taxi driving, claiming to be illiterate? Or the Vietnamese gentleman that has been in this country 25 years and claims illiteracy, but when I told his Rep I thought he was faking, he started cursing me??
English is taught in the schools in Puerto Rico. Unless an individual is very old or has a marginal education, the claims of not speaking English are suspect.
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