Chris's blog

Many individuals wonder if it is possible to collect unemployment benefits when filing a Social Security Disability claim. After all, the Social Security Disability claim process can take months, if not years, to complete. Wouldn't it be convenient if you could obtain unemployment benefits while you wait? More importantly, is it legal to do so? There is technically no law stating that you cannot apply for Social Security Disability benefits while receiving unemployment payments.

There is no doubt that the Social Security Administration is inundated with problems. Recently, Charlie Andrus, the Chief Social Security Administration judge in Huntington, West Virginia, has stepped down from his post due to political issues within the disability program and a federal probe into the actions of one of the judges under his supervision.

The Social Security Administration is plagued by financial problems, and the recent budget cuts are not helping matters by any means. In April, Congress passed a budget cut that took approximately $1 billion dollars away from the amount that the Obama administration had requested for the Social Security Administration's budget. As a result of this significant cut in revenue, the Social Security Administration has been faced with a multitude of financial burdens and administrative setbacks.

In a perfect world, the Social Security Disability programs would always work the way it should. Disabled individuals would apply for the benefits they need and a few months later those benefits would start coming in and would keep coming in as needed.

Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Oftentimes the Social Security Disability system does not work as it should and innocent people suffer because of it. The case of Willie Monteith is a perfect example of this fact.

There is no doubt that there are problems with the Social Security program. It is estimated that the program’s funds will be entirely depleted of funds 2023, if not sooner. This obviously has created a lot of concern and stirred up heated debates at the government level and otherwise. Those who oppose the Social Security Disability program, in particular, claim that a large number of the people who are receiving disability benefits should phased out of the benefits system and put back into the work force.

People applying for disability benefits through Social Security Disability are often surprised to find out that the majority of claimants must undergo a lengthy and complex disability appeal in order to get the benefits they need – a process that can take more than two years to complete. Given the tremendous time and effort that goes into the fight to obtain disability benefits in the first place, many people wonder is whether there is a time limit on benefits once the SSA has approved a Social Security Disability claim.

It is difficult for hard-working taxpayers to view news reports about the discovery of Social Security Disability fraud every day. It is important, however, not to let such frustrations lead to a slanted view of the Social Security Administration or the Social Security Disability program as a whole.

When bad credit comes back to haunt those who are dependent on monthly government payouts, it often has devastating effects. The retired, elderly, disabled, and veterans are the ones who suffer the most when creditors come knocking, because they rely on their income, which usually consists entirely of benefit payments from government programs, to provide their basic necessities.

Citizens as well as politicians have long been voicing their discontent with the practices of the Title XVI program run by the Social Security Administration, but the growing universal concern over the impending bankruptcy of Social Security has led to more public outcry over the abuses of the program and how it is contributing to the financially instability of the system.