Saturday, August 14, 2010

2: Social Security Retirement: What is Social Security Disability?

Social Security Disability is meant only for contributing workers disabled due to accident, injury, or illness which occurs "on the job". A worker can seek evaluation for "early retirement" if that worker cannot return to do that job. For example, a worker who sustained a back injury lifting who cannot return to that job because of the severity of that injury may be able to receive Social Security disability payments.

Social Security Disability was not intended to be a general welfare fund. "Welfare State" politicicans have been borrowing from or against Social Security Retirement funds for general welfare recipient payments for congenital "disabilities" (like cerebral palsy) and other forms of mental retardation and developmental problems in infants, children, or young adults (like premature infant neurological syndromes or dyslexia) who obviously have not been workers contributing to the retirement fund.

Misuse of the term "social security" to gain access to funds in welfare fraud and "entitlements" takes money from workers who "pay-in", depletes the fund, and brings negative attention to this "pay-in" retirement fund.

In this time of high unemployment, social security retirement funds should be used as "early retirement" monies for contributing workers. This would alleviate some of the unemployment hardship the fund was created to prevent. This is particularly true for older workers who have more difficulty finding stable jobs.

Stable jobs are not as highly valued by "Business" and "Finance" in this economy as in the past. During this period of relative de-industrialization at home, while exporting factories and labor to third world countries, America is "growing" an investment growth economy which devalues employment. Wages and salaries for jobs are considered an unnecessary business expense, a loss of profit for owners and investors. How to maintain an economy which maintains possibilities for employment and income for its citizens is a focus for debate involving and going beyond the Social Security Retirement fund issues.

How to fund general welfare is another problem to be solved. This question should not be avoided by borrowing from a retirement fund. This avoidance has already caused a crisis for the Social Security Retirement fund.


(Return to http://monthlynotesthree.blogspot.com for the first blog in this series, to http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com and http://monthlynotes.blogspot.com on www.google.com for other US blogs on issues of general interest by the monthlynotesstaff. Email mary at mkrause381@gmail.com for a copy of this blog or to make additional comments.)