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Recession causing explosion in entitlement programs?
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Number of Americans collecting disability benefits on the rise
- Duration 6:49
- Date Dec 4, 2012
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Number of Americans collecting disability benefits on the rise
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Well there's an eye opening report out this week about the growing number of Americans who are getting federally funded disability payments.
For many years disability insurance was a small but relatively inexpensive program.
But the ratio of disability cases to new jobs has exploded during the sluggish recovery from the recession and even over the last decade -- -- Between January 2010 in December of 2011 so about a two year period there were a reported 1730000.
New jobs.
Added.
One million to seven and 30000 -- 790000.
New people started collecting disability.
In a program now running more than a 130.
Billion dollars.
Total tax.
Leslie Marshall Moses -- syndicated radio talk show host -- a Fox News contributor and Chris plant is the host of the Chris -- shall welcome so.
Even before these past two years between 96 in 2001 private sector generated eight point eight million new jobs according to -- post about Michael Barone.
Four point one million people entered the disability rolls and the numbers are released during first with you on this wasn't because you are married to a doctor.
Is it I mean how does one and -- the disability rolls do you need to get a doctor's note.
You need -- doctor's signature on a federal form because you know in my in between life Bob broadcasting I've helped out my husband's office.
So I seen those warrants so certainly the doctor has the right to say no one of the problems says.
If you know hollow not only to game this system to be honest or.
If you keep going and not got enough doctors' -- you could get a signature in addition there are people who will pay people who work in doctor's office to get signatures.
And people.
That the doctors on even aware that maybe one of their staff members is doing this I know this first -- of a friend of my husband's.
But you have to be my husband's relentless he's an orthopedic surgeon if somebody on crutches says I -- handicapped parking sticker.
He says -- you can walk with the crutches so -- you have to be top on this.
Because there's partial disability and this long term disability and their people that are truly disabled who truly need this funding.
I don't think which -- -- the baby with the bath water but there's no question that there certainly is -- some fraud and abuse in the system -- -- Then explosion Chris if you look at the numbers in 1960.
Some for this is again according to the ground peace he citing his his colleagues but -- who extensively researched this.
455000.
Workers in 1960 getting disability payments -- 111.
Eight point six million people.
Which is a huge jumping in percentage even when you account for population growth.
What's really going on.
Yeah why and obviously we've got a government -- and our congressional thank you Leslie -- you're telling the truth you know I mean it is it is a system a program that is ripe for abuse.
You can shop doctors and and get a doctor's note and it's -- -- -- that your.
Kind of on the dole for the rest of your life five all for providing for people who are in need I have a brother who is on disability.
But if in my lifetime we've gone from having zero point 6% of the population on disability -- having five point 6% of the population on disability.
When we're supposed to be healthier and have better health care now.
You know that you've got a problem and and half nearly half of the people are collecting.
Make claims like they have disabilities such as mood disorders and and you know -- an adult or problems.
Yeah -- I must go let's go to you know soft tissue disorders that you really can't prove.
-- both domestically or in -- so.
Obviously the system is being game to death and and it's quite honestly one of many government programs that are being game today.
It's a huge.
Cost to the American taxpayer was it because they say.
That you know it's one thing when you're if you're sixty and something happens to you maybe you have a life altering cardiac event you can no longer do your job.
You're pretty close to getting your Social Security anyway at that point this is like -- security against the payment and but this is -- more and more there's been an explosion of people in the thirties and forties.
Cashing -- -- you get it.
What it for the rest of your life you get these disability pay -- Well the first of all and I know Chris I may have I may have had -- -- agree with you but now we're gonna partly as a cat.
Because.
When you say now that we have healthcare now what do we doubt I mean we got a guy did an added -- I remember one of the problem -- that that's one of the problems.
Is -- at my house would be the first to say.
Because we don't have the prevention we get people to this point whether it's partial luck in the short term long term.
And that disabled state second a ball if you look at the numbers are huge amount of -- population in that age group you're talking about Megan.
Have applied for disability based on obesity.
And that's a huge problem that our nation and that is a disability.
And unfortunately.
We're not and we haven't addressed that we are -- so I -- -- point where there they're so obese they don't feel that they can work that they are dis evil so now because they.
They are obese they now get disability payments I mean that is a taxpayer funded benefit is it not.
It's not -- yes but it's not just the obesity remember.
But my husband will tell you that the first thing to say to somebody that comes in -- knee problems is you got to lose weight room numbers are putting all that weight on your means when you think about what you're doing to your organs.
-- when you think about people become.
You know they're not mobile and you longer and they can't get -- -- -- -- -- -- -- interesting -- Chris because.
Does this speak I mean -- I know you're anti big government -- but does this speak more to -- mentality of many in the American public.
That it does about big government I mean -- that just a shift in attitude about what was rights.
In 1960 vs today.
-- -- -- out there are certainly numerous factors and and was -- -- -- was I think our healthcare system is better now than it was in 1960.
So you know people have -- whatever that's that's a debate for another day.
Certainly there are numerous factors that there is you know -- mentality issue in the United States of America the entitlement mentality is expanding.
All over the place and one of the issues with with disability is.
Is right now in the last couple of years at least not looking at it from 1960 till tonight.
The last couple of -- a big part of it is your unemployment insurance runs out and you go shopping around for other government entitlement programs.
That'll help keep the lights on and these are.
Among the entitlement programs this program particulars among the programs where you can as you said yourself game the system I have a mood problem.
I -- overweight I've got soft tissue damage that you can't establish one way or the other and before you know -- you're getting green checks every month now.
Leslie Chris thank you well.
Thank you make it.