The shelved policy would have changed eligibility for two federal disability programs by removing age as a factor.
The Social Security Administration has reportedly abandoned a proposal that would have prevented thousands of Americans from accessing disability benefits, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Why It Matters The shelved policy would have altered the rules for two federal disability programs by reducing or removing the role a claimant’s age plays in determining eligibility. Newsweek has contacted the SSA for comment via email outside of regular working hours. The move would have made it more difficult to apply for disability benefits from the SSA’s two welfare programs: Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance . Stock image of a Social Security Administration sign on field office building. What To Know Social Security considers a person’s age, work background, and education when determining disability eligibility, weighing whether an applicant can transition to different kinds of work. Those aged 50 and older generally have a higher likelihood of qualifying because age is viewed as a barrier to adapting to many jobs. According to The Washington Post, White House deputy chief of staff James Blair and SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano both informed Jason Turkish, co-founder of the nonprofit disability advocacy group Alliance for America’s Promise, that the forthcoming regulations were not moving forward. The rule was published by the SSA in the federal register earlier this year. It faced backlash from Democratic lawmakers, with over 160 House Democrats signing a letter to Bisignano last month. In a recent paper, the Urban Institute estimated that a 10 percent reduction in eligibility under the proposed rule would mean 750,000 fewer people receiving benefits at some point over the next decade. It also projected that 80,000 fewer widows and children would qualify due to a spouse or parent losing eligibility, resulting in an estimated $82 billion reduction in total benefits paid over 10 years. Last month, an SSA spokesperson said the agency was developing plans to “propose improvements to the disability adjudication process to ensure our disability program remains current and can be more efficiently administered.” “This includes proposing policy updates to occupational data sources and optimizing their use to serve our customers and preserve the trust funds,” they said. “Once the proposal is fully developed, we will share it publicly and request public comment through the standard rulemaking process… As with any rulemaking, we will consider and analyze public comments before deciding whether to finalize the rule.” What People Are Saying A White House spokesperson said: “The White House has not seen any such proposal. However, President Trump remains fully committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security while making it easier for millions of Americans to engage with the Social Security Administration.” Rebecca Vallas, CEO of the National Academy of Social Insurance, said in a statement emailed to Newsweek: “I’m incredibly pleased to see Commissioner Bisignano and the administration decide not to pursue proposed cuts to Social Security’s disability programs — cuts which would have been out of step not only with what the American people want, but also with President Trump’s repeated promises not to cut Social Security. Commissioner Bisignano is wise to move away from this proposal and I hope to work with him to strengthen Social Security’s disability programs in the chapter ahead.” What Happens Next The proposed rule is no longer expected to move forward, meaning that for now there will be no change to eligibility for SSA administered welfare programs.
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Social Security Administration scraps a plan to limit disability benefits after uproarThe policy would have fundamentally altered who qualifies for the two federal disability programs by eliminating or limiting a person’s age as a factor to consider.
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