The Indianapolis Star has an article entitled Disability delays lead to personal havoc. As it turns out, these disability delays increase the volume on my collections business, so I’ll keep this short. Some of the folks I run into who are claiming disability look healthy enough to work to me — but I’m not a doctor, so I couldn’t say for sure. Others are clearly in bad shape. As far as I can tell, both kinds of people are waiting in the same line. The Indianapolis Social Security office has the 4th longest average wait in the nation for a hearing on disability claims – over 2 years. In the meantime, the claimants have to fend for themselves and look elsewhere for help. The long waits on their federal claims results in an increased burden on state relief programs.
Township Trustees in Marion County (and likely elsewhere) step in and help folk awaiting their disability appeals if they are desperately needy. The long wait is thus somewhat mitigated. Basic assistance is given but a ‘lien’ is placed on the anticipated disability back-payment. The local taxpayers are thus reimbursed for assisting Social Security Disability applicants.
I’m shocked to read you say this, Doug. Mental illness is a physical illness just as surely as any other. Other disabilities, illnesses and injuries could also not be seen with the naked eye.
That sounded much more angry than I meant it. I was just trying to say “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” :)
(Does the smiley make it better?)
Works better with the smiley! And, that’s why I added the qualification about not being a doctor. There are plenty of mentally ill folks. On the other hand, there is, in my (again, non-expert) estimation, a non-negligible number of applicants who are simply not that interested in working.