Nov 1, 2017

Tinkering With Work Incentives Won't Matter

    Here's another writer who thinks that people will fly off the disability rolls if we just tinker with work incentives. We should change it from a cliff to a ramp but I'm telling you that it will make little difference. We've had near continuous tinkering with work incentives since the 1960s -- yes, the 1960s -- to no effect. Additional tinkering won't matter much. There are two fallacies underlying all this tinkering -- the belief that it's not that hard to get on disability benefits and that people who go on disability benefits will eventually get better. Neither is even a little bit true.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Government incompetence is the biggest obstacle to many SSDI recipients returning to work. There has to be a MANAGED PROCESS designed to help people return to work. But there is no process and no management.

Anonymous said...

No. There will be no big return to work but the system is hard to navigate (harder for most than getting approved). It should be easy and low risk with a nice reward.

Why risk being declared no longer disabled if you can do some seasonal work? Being able to make a little extra over the holidays for example even if you can't do it 52 weeks a year.

Anonymous said...

Can I have a reward for working?

Anonymous said...

The premise behind the Ticket program was that maybe the private sector could do a better job than the State VR agencies at getting DI bends back to self supporting work. The Ticket program flopped. You can provide all the support you want, and overall return to work rates won't change. While many claim the desire to work, very few DI benes have the ability.

Anonymous said...

A convoluted mess of risks and incentives from a already brutal system. How inviting.

Can’t imagine why it does not engender goodwill and trust and is not successful. Not to mention decades of data showing beneficiaries are often too debilitated to return.

Tim said...

I know my ability to work is measured in minutes, not hours. Taking out the trash greatly increases my back pain for 30-45 minutes. Standing for 5-10 minutes does as well. Lifting a gallon of milk, even when half full, increases pain in either shoulder. Writing for 5-7 minutes hurts my hands (especially thumbs), shoulder and back. Throw in all the dizziness, headaches, migraines, blurred, irritated eyes... I am pretty sure I will never approach SGA again... Whether I finally get approved or not! I was denied by a newly hired ALJ... I hope the Appeals Council will help me.

Anonymous said...

If the different departments of Social Security do not work together in work attempts, the opportunity becomes a trap for punishment for alleged over-payments!

Anonymous said...

1:30 and 1:17 got it right. Nothing else to add.

Anonymous said...

There is a major problem with the hypothetical: A 46 year old with spinal stenosis severe enough to meet Social Security Disability listings is going to be in such severe pain that he would not be able to work at all due to the pain he has and the side effects of the medication he is on. If he does not meet the listings, he is not going to qualify under the grid rules in the first place since he is under 50 and is apparently able to do sedentary work!

Minor problem with the piece: a person who is receiving $1171.00 a month from Social Security Disability will NOT be eligible for Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Anonymous said...

Hey 3:52, you can have a reward,

it's called a paycheck.

Anonymous said...

@407 They get a paycheck, and SSDI and Medicare. Why cant I?