Paul Krugman, the Nobel prize-winning economist and Professor at Princeton University, recently wrote a New York Times column about mass unemployment entitled “The Forgotten Millions.” He says:
bear in mind that we’re looking at millions of human tragedies: at individuals and families whose lives are falling apart because they can’t find work, at savings consumed, homes lost and dreams destroyed. And the longer this goes on, the bigger the tragedy.
Professor Krugman is right. And the excerpt above applies equally to the disabled, who are unemployed because they are unable to maintain employment due to physical or mental impairments. In addition to financial hardship, those applying for Social Security disability suffer debilitating symptoms from chronic illnesses.
The raising of the bar for disability benefits has taken a tremendous toll on tens of thousands formerly working citizens who have applied for Social Security disability and been denied.
The road for disability is not an easy one. All of my clients would prefer to be working, if they were able. Their tribulations should not be forgotten.