U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) led bicameral legislation that would modernize the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) classification of disability beneficiaries to incentivize those who are able to return to work.
The Return to Work Act would require disability determiners to classify new Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries based on whether medical improvement is expected. Those expected to recover would be given a timeline and additional resources to find a job while on SSDI.
“SSDI was developed to be a safety net for those who suffer from a permanent, debilitating disability and to provide temporary assistance for those with a recoverable illness or disability while they heal, but disincentives to work and delays in continuing disability reviews have resulted in disabled individuals foregoing employment to remain on the program and maintain much needed benefits,” Hill said.
Since 1970, the SSDI program has grown from $20 billion to $137 billion (in 2012 dollars) since 1970. At the same time, the number of beneficiaries who leave the program to return to work has dropped from nearly 6 percent in 1982 to just 0.4 percent in 2013, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“In order to ensure that SSDI will continue to aid those who need it most and promote work for those willing and able, SSDI needs to be reformed,” Hill said. “This bill is the type of reform that will keep the program solvent by helping those with recoverable illnesses and disabilities live full and independent lives by returning to the workforce.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who introduced companion legislation in the Senate, said rampant abuse, lax enforcement and insufficient accountability have helped SSDI grow unchecked.
“The health of our national economy and strength of our communities depend on able-bodied Americans earning paychecks,” Rubio said. “This legislation represents a long overdue reform that takes care of working Americans and saves our social safety net for the truly disabled.”