Scientific American has a piece on the threat of chronic disability from Covid-19. It warns of the possibility of a million Americans with long Covid overwhelming agencies such as the Social Security Administration.
This may well happen but I can't say that I'm seeing it or hearing about it from others representing Social Security claimants. I'll be happy if a big wave of post Covid disability never arrives. A few months ago I wrote about taking on one client disabled by Covid but I haven't taken on any more such cases since then and that client already had major health problems before Covid-19 came along. He could have easily been pushed over the edge into disability by any serious infection, such as non-Covid pneumonia. Maybe the post-Covid cases will show up later. It's hard for most people to admit even to themselves that they're disabled. People procrastinate even as all reasonable hope for recovery fades away.
My office probably has a half dozen potential new clients a week contact us with covid issues listed in impairments. Definitely noticeable, but not a "wave." As the unemployment benefits end and long haulers' symptoms unfortunately don't subside, I predict more claims will come. While I have seen some cases of people who were completely healthy pre-covid and now unable to work as a direct result of their infection, I've seen more people who have a number of other impairments and their covid symptoms are one more impairment on their list.
ReplyDeleteThe psych cases should be more. After the recession in 2008, there were many people who got legitimately depressed after losing their job. There were many who just filed because they could not find work. There will be those too. But I see more psych cases coming in the next 1-2 years.
ReplyDeleteI have been getting consistent calls and have several of these cases with long term lung damage, on Oxygen, etc. They are getting denied just like any other case. But we have also seen COVID calls from from folks closer to full retirement age who are exploring whether or not to bother with disability instead of just taking retirement.
ReplyDelete