20% Cut In SSDI Benefits

[rasputina]

Thank you maluhia - this is a big help.

[Temagami]

thanks- sent to my congressman.

[milehighmimi]

At the risk of sounding totally pessimistic, Congress is NOT going to care. If they did, they would have left the rule alone. They've already changed it. Just like everything else they have obstructed for the last 4 years, they refuse to spend any money on anything that is NOT funded. SS Disability is funded by payroll taxes. Congress would have to raise payroll taxes to avoid the fund running out of money in a year. Congress has consistently refused to raise taxes for ANYTHING. It's not going to do any good when you see this

The sad truth is they are going to cut the disability 20% because they do not care about the sick, poor, elderly. They only care about themselves and the 1%.

**URL removed by Moderator in compliance with MSWorld Guidelines. **

[its2much]

Thanks maluhia for the sample letter - I'll be sending it out today!

[dm0329]

NMSS Society Letter

Good News: The Society and other disability groups sent a letter to the House leadership (Boehner, Pelosi) to address the recent bill passed in the house cutting SSDI benefits by 20 percent.

Check it out: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Nat...le-on-SSDI.pdf

The fight has just begin!

[Seasha]

Good News: The Society and other disability groups sent a letter to the House leadership (Boehner, Pelosi) to address the recent bill passed in the house cutting SSDI benefits by 20 percent.

Check it out: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Nat...le-on-SSDI.pdf

The fight has just begin!

Thank you for passing this along!!!

[J-Bo]

Yes, thanks for the update, dm!

What happened to these people that made them so mean? They seem to think the problem with this country is that the poor people have too much money and the disabled have it too easy. Just once in my life, I'd like to hear one of them ask if we can afford to start another war!

[maluhia111]

Here Is A Sample Letter

Below is a sample letter provided by the National Disability Institute. Sign up for their emails at their website: "ndi-inc.org".

Also, do the following to find out who to send the letter to: Go to the US House of Representatives offical government website: "House.gov".
In the top right cornor of the website there is a map of the US with heading entitled "Find Your Representative" above it. Enter your zip code in the field provided and it' ll give names of your reps to whom you should send this letter.

HERE IS THE SAMPLE LETTER:

"(Introduction: greeting, your name, etc.), I am (mode of communication) today to ask for your assistance and commitment to ensuring nearly 11 million Americans with disabilities maintain access to the full scope of benefits they have earned and rely on to make ends meet.

As you are aware, following the inaugural convening of the 114th Congress, the House of Representatives adopted a rules package which barred the transfer of funds from the general Social Security retirement fund to the disability insurance program (SSDI) - a move employed 11 separate instances by Congress during the last seven decades. Unfortunately, this could not have come at a worse time, as the Social Security Administration projects SSDI insolvency by the end of 2016 without Congressional action, resulting in payment reductions by 20 percent to SSDI beneficiaries.

However, there is an immediate and easy fix: reversing the House Rules. As such, I, along with a nationwide community of like-minded individuals, call on you to address and remedy this manufactured Social Security crisis. While we certainly believe there is an appropriate time and opportunity for further debate on securing the long-term sustainability of our country's benefit programs, such a conversation and politically charged debate should not come at the expense of people with disabilities' livelihood.

Please do what is right. Immediately change House Rules and show some of our nation's most at risk that their government has their best interests in mind. I eagerly await your response. Thank you! (

Closing: signature, contact information/mailing address)"

[rasputina]

This article provides more information than others I'd seen on the 20% cut of SSDI benefits.

Previously SSDI would automatically convert to SSI. Now one has to file at retirement age - what I don't understand is the stipulation saying all SSDI benefits one has received will have to be paid back.

If anyone can explain this article and the impact it will have on all of us collecting SSDI, I'd be so grateful!

"So what did Social Security do, seemingly in the dead of night, on Dec. 23 when many Americans were preparing for Christmas? They rewrote a provision of their Program Operating Manual System (POMS). And their rewrite, which is written in as obscure a manner as possible, forces all disabled workers reaching full retirement to file for their retirement benefits unless they pay back every penny they ever received in disability benefits. That’s not something most disabled workers are able, let alone eager, to do."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-s...abled-workers/