If you want to be angered...

[candycorn]

The NPR segment linked in the Op pretty much says the same thing. Somehow I still believe there will be a day of reckoning for those that defraud the taxpayer yet at present it looks as if so many are involved I may be delusional to believe that.

The system is badly broken and our so-called leaders, without regard to party, appear unwilling to fix it.

Relatively speaking, its a tiny amount of money.

I don't understand why people would happily lynch people who scam food stamps or SS but don't mind the BILLIONS being scammed by corporations.

I'm certainly not saying that individuals committing fraud should get away with it or be ignored but a little perspective is needed.

According to the broadcast, the "tiny" amount is over $100B going to SS Disability and the "tiny" amount of people on it is 14,000,000 Americans are on it or 1 in every 22 people.

I'm really not that angered at the people...I'm angered that the Federal Government is such an easy mark for what is obviously a scam and a poorly portrayed one at that.

It may not be known but those on SS Disability also get their medical bills taken care of in many (if not all) cases. The actual "tiny amount" according to the broadcast with the medical is $260,000,000,000.00. No sense is involved.

 

[slackjawed]

Relatively speaking, its a tiny amount of money.

I don't understand why people would happily lynch people who scam food stamps or SS but don't mind the BILLIONS being scammed by corporations.

I'm certainly not saying that individuals committing fraud should get away with it or be ignored but a little perspective is needed.

According to the broadcast, the "tiny" amount is over $100B going to SS Disability and the "tiny" amount of people on it is 14,000,000 Americans are on it or 1 in every 22 people.

I'm really not that angered at the people...I'm angered that the Federal Government is such an easy mark for what is obviously a scam and a poorly portrayed one at that.

It may not be known but those on SS Disability also get their medical bills taken care of in many (if not all) cases. The actual "tiny amount" according to the broadcast with the medical is $260,000,000,000.00. No sense is involved.

Medical bills include those power chairs you see advertised on Tv that will be "free to you".
On a side note, one of the drunks got a DUI in his chair because he was out on the street with it headed for Circle K to get a bottle.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I seem to remember having a thread about this matter. I told you all how my ex wife was trying to get on the dole despite being fully functional and how it caused me great grief. I also remember most of you telling me it was none of my fucking business.

 

[candycorn]

The NPR segment linked in the Op pretty much says the same thing. Somehow I still believe there will be a day of reckoning for those that defraud the taxpayer yet at present it looks as if so many are involved I may be delusional to believe that.

The system is badly broken and our so-called leaders, without regard to party, appear unwilling to fix it.

Relatively speaking, its a tiny amount of money.

I don't understand why people would happily lynch people who scam food stamps or SS but don't mind the BILLIONS being scammed by corporations.

I'm certainly not saying that individuals committing fraud should get away with it or be ignored but a little perspective is needed.

According to the broadcast, the "tiny" amount is over $100B going to SS Disability and the "tiny" amount of people on it is 14,000,000 Americans are on it or 1 in every 22 people.

I'm really not that angered at the people...I'm angered that the Federal Government is such an easy mark for what is obviously a scam and a poorly portrayed one at that.

And, I'll let the cat out of the bag, when you file, about 2/3 get turned down for SSD.

So lets say 100 people file;

33 get SSD when they file
67 get denied.

Out of the 67, half will appeal. So 33 appeal.

Out of the 33, if they get representation, two thirds or 22 of them get SSD.

Here is the kicker: In the appeal hearing, the federal government does not send a lawyer to the hearing to try to stop the previously-denied person from getting disability. Nobody from the governemnt outside of the judge is in the freaking room!!!! Nobody is there to say, "Your honor, this person is not disabled due to XYZ...


SIDEBAR: The check the lawyers get comes out of the award SSD makes to the plaintiff--directly from the Government. One year, a law firm named Binder & Binder got a check for $68 Million Dollars from the government for winning these cases where their attorney was in a court room without opposing counsel present.

 

[candycorn]

According to the broadcast, the "tiny" amount is over $100B going to SS Disability and the "tiny" amount of people on it is 14,000,000 Americans are on it or 1 in every 22 people.

I'm really not that angered at the people...I'm angered that the Federal Government is such an easy mark for what is obviously a scam and a poorly portrayed one at that.

It may not be known but those on SS Disability also get their medical bills taken care of in many (if not all) cases. The actual "tiny amount" according to the broadcast with the medical is $260,000,000,000.00. No sense is involved.

Medical bills include those power chairs you see advertised on Tv that will be "free to you".
On a side note, one of the drunks got a DUI in his chair because he was out on the street with it headed for Circle K to get a bottle.

It makes me appreciate the Iraq War veterans we have. One guy has constant pain due to getting hit in the back with some falling pipes or something. He works in our radiology department at one of our hospitals and he has days where he has to take off and go see a specialist about his pain. I don't know if he gets any SSD or not but he puts in nearly 40 a week most weeks. It seems as though it would be easy for him to stay at home and watch TV...the Army must have some sort of disability enhancement for combat veterans I'd imagine.

I'd probably be shocked at that too come to think of it.

 

[edthecynic]

Social Security Disability is quite possibly the most fraudulent, abused program out there. Every person I have ever known collecting it was more than capable of working if they wanted to. Particularly now, since the 2008 crash, the number of people on disability skyrocketed after unemployment benefits ran out. That is not a coincidence.

It is also not the truth. Awards have been declining since 2010 which is when the 99 weeks of UI would have run out.

Disabled-worker statistics

 

[American4Americ]

I assume this is what the OP refers:

490: Trends With Benefits

Mar 22, 2013

The number of Americans receiving federal disability payments has nearly doubled over the last 15 years. There are towns and counties around the nation where almost 1/4 of adults are on disability. Planet Money's Chana Joffe-Walt spent 6 months exploring the disability program, and emerges with a story of the U.S. economy quite different than the one we've been hearing. Web Extra: here.

Correct!

But The description above just barely scratches the surface...believe me. Download it and listen to it driving to and from work or during your excercise period, walking your dog....

If you're not angry by the end, you're not paying attention.

Especially the business between the State and the Feds.....

It depresses me more then angers me. Everyone says they should work, but where? It is not like people are clamoring for unskilled labor.

Say you work in a small town like they are discussing and there is one factory in town where everyone works. It closes, where do you go to work?

But because of democrat rule, in my opinion, there is no opportunity for the low skilled low educated worker. Their only hope is to use the system.

Clinton ensured that the low tech jobs fled to China and Mexico with his free trade agreements.

The democrats for years have supported, for votes, the influx of illegal immagrants. I suppose so they will get their lettace picked on the cheap and they are votes.

So two things work against the working man. Then there is Obamacare. Who is going to work when things will be handed them free, I don't blame them.

But by gosh if the suggestion is made, by Republicans, that something needs done to help get these people to work one would think it is Hitler himself speaking.

Democrats have vilified work and accomplishments and we wonder why these things happen. I don't blame those on disability for taking advantage of what is thier only way out. I blame the democrats for making the system so that is the only way out.

WTF are you protectionist? NAFTA was necessary to insure freedom & capitalism. If you disagree, I recommend a different country. North Korea maybe?