Noteboom The Law Firm

Rise in Disability Claims Could Hinder Social Security

Like nearly every other program lately, the Social Security Administration  (SSA) appears to be struggling more than it has in years. According to the Associated Press, Social Security will pay more money in benefits than it will receive via taxes in the coming two years. Reasons for the financial issues include the following:

• Social Security Disability claims have increased by 20%
• More people have opted to take their retirement benefits early due to little income
• Baby boomers have been retiring lately
• Job loss has prompted people to turn to the SSA who never thought they would

 In fact, the normal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will not be assessed in January of 2010 like it usually is. The increase is typically a mere 2 to 3%, but many beneficiaries living on the brink of poverty will certainly notice the absence of the adjustment.

The SSA's financial problem might not be a surprise considering the current state of the economy, but it is certainly an encumbrance on many families who previously depended on a now injured person to make ends meet. People who are now out-of-work are applying to receive Social Security disability insurance benefits whether their injuries are minor or major, simply because they have nowhere else to turn.

Some recipients of Social Security disability payments have had to fight just to get their due. One recent case is that of 59-year-old Betty Rutledge, who applied for Total Disability benefits in 2004 and has been involved in a battle with Social Security ever since. She has been paid her benefits for a few years now, but had yet to receive her deceased husband's benefits. She finally got the issue resolved, only when she called for help from Call for Action, a program run by a Detroit news station. While this woman's case was solved, there are likely people out there who are entitled to benefits that they might never receive just because they do not fight for them.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida disability lawyers, LaVan & Neidenberg, represent over 5000 disability claimants. Our disability attorneys have experience with cross examining agency-appointed medical and vocational experts and take time when speaking with you about your disability claim. Call us today at 1-888-234-5758 for a FREE legal consultation. There is NO OBLIGATION to hire our firm and there are NO FEES unless one of our trained disability lawyers wins your case.