While I missed the stories that prompted this response, I recently stumbled upon this letter from several former commissioners of the Social Security Administration wherein they refute some of the reporting done by NPR and This American Life concerning the increase of the SSI and DI programs in recent years. Reading their letter makes me want to hear the full stories as reported by NPR, which I typically accept as a reputable news source.
Having worked in a rural homeless shelter for 5 years, I am keenly aware of these issues. I have seen people with various levels and types of disability, and I have seen their children start down similar paths. I have seen people who have been deemed "unfit for work" participate in the shelter's community life in ways I would not have expected them to be able based on their categorized disability, and I have seen people who were on SSI or SSDI believe themselves to be handicapped as a result of their disability. All of this is to say that the politics of this is somewhat out of my current depth, though my experience leads me to wish we spent fewer tax dollars on "hand out" programs like SSI and SSDI and more tax dollars on "hand up" programs like the Rehabilitation Services Commission or the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. The psychological benefits of equipping individuals to participate as much as possible in community are not valued in our society, to our detriment.
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