Commentary
Is It Time for Social Security Reform?
by Michael Cohn, M.Ed.
Most people who try to get a social security case handled are aware
that it can take anywhere from two to three years before receiving
their first check. This is something that I know firsthand. I feel
it is time for our federal officials to step up to the plate and
demand that the people who are in charge of the Social Security claims
make changes in how they manage the system that they serve.
Many people who rely on SSI, SSDI or Social Security have had to wait years
until their benefits kick in. How would the federal officials like it if they
were told that they could not get their paychecks for anywhere from one to
three years? How could they live from month to month without having money coming
in?
For many people who live with a disability, having to deal with this system
of government is time consuming and frustrating.
Why so time consuming? One answer that I have been given time and time again
is that there is a backlog of cases.
Why frustrating? There are many
hoops we are told we must jump through to get money from the system. Hoop
One: file for the program that you fit in. Hoop Two: prove that you have
a case. Hoop Three: get denied. Hoop Four: file an appeal. This process itself
can take one to two years. Hoop Five: wait for the appeal to be approved,
after which you have a court hearing. After the court date you have to wait
two more months to hear back regarding the judge’s
decision. Finally, when the judge rules in your favor, you must wait four to
six more months before you get your first check. Wouldn’t you be frustrated?
The truth of the matter is, we need, no we demand Social Security reform NOW!
And, not the kind of changes President Bush is suggesting, like privatizing.
What we need is streamlining. Why should any person have to go through delays
in getting money that they have earned?
We need to cut out the number of steps a person must take to get assistance
for their daily living expenses.
For me, Social Security reform requires the following steps:
1. Have more judges and lawyers available to handle the cases. The lawyers
must be trained in disability awareness, not just the legal system.
2. Provide for more in-depth studies of the applications in order to prevent
all the appeals, which take more time and money from both the legal system
and the person applying for benefits.
3. Assign one person from the Social Security office, and one law firm, to
each case. This would eliminate the confusion and duplication of paperwork
and phone calls.
Why am I writing this article?
Because for the past three years I have been fighting the system to get money
from my father’s Social Security account
after he passed away. I have been patient to a point, but my patience has run
thin. I have contacted my con-gressman’s office for their help. Within
24 hours, his staff was able to get me answers that I have been unable to get
after four months of dealing with the Social Security folks. One of the answers
was an answer I had been looking for; the other answer was one I did not want
to hear.
Getting this issue resolved will
take more time—and one more appeal.
When I filed for a second claim, I was told that 95% of all initial applications
are denied and then have to be appealed. The question is “Why?” Why
so many denials? And how many people end up dropping their cases because they
are afraid of the appeal process and may not understand that they are denied
the first time for no solid reason?
We need to reform this messed
up system. If you have any interest in seeing Social Security reform started
in Minnesota, please contact me and let’s
see what we can accomplish.
Michael Cohn can be contacted at cohnm@juno.com
