For a growing segment of the population unable to work due to a disability, the Social Security disability programs provide a vital, and frequently an exclusive, source of income. Being able to establish eligibility for Social Security disability benefits became even more significant Aug. 1, 2012, when the Pennsylvania General Assembly terminated the cash portion of welfare benefits, known as general assistance. Roughly 35,000 Philadelphians lost the benefit that had been their sole source of income. A large portion of these individuals, estimated at more than 90 percent, suffer from some type of disability. Many meet the criteria for being found disabled under the Social Security disability standards. But most of these low-income clients urgently need legal assistance to help them apply for benefits. With a short investment of time, an advocate can help a vulnerable, disabled client rise from existing in desperate poverty to obtaining a stable monthly income.
Recently, the Social Security disability program was portrayed negatively when the television program “60 Minutes” aired a segment giving voice to a U.S. senator hostile to the program and implying that it is easy to obtain Social Security disability benefits. In fact, the opposite is true: To establish eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, an applicant must meet very high and stringent standards. He or she must demonstrate a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to last a year or longer, and an inability to perform substantial, gainful activity. The Social Security Administration maintains a list of impairments that are considered disabling under federal regulations. A claimant who fails to provide sufficient evidence of a disability, including sufficient medical evidence, will be denied disability benefits.
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