Advocacy and Public Policy
Social Security and People with Disabilities
Today, more than 7 million Americans with disabilities and their families rely on monthly Social Security insurance checks for survival. More than one-third of all Social Security checks are sent to 17 million people who are not retired, many of them with disabilities.
There are three primary Social Security insurance programs, and people with disabilities are in each of them:
- Retirement Insurance covers retirees and their families (including their “disabled adult children”) when they reach retirement age.
- Disability Insurance covers disabled workers who are unable to work due to a disability, and their dependents. Six million disabled workers, 1.6 million minor children of disabled workers, and the disabled adult children of disabled workers get benefits under this category.
- Survivors Insurance covers dependents (minor children, spouses, and disabled adult children), of workers and retirees who have died. There are 200,000 disabled widows.
Currently a total of 759,000 Americans get benefits as “disabled adult children” of retirees (category 1, above), disabled workers (category 2, above), and deceased workers and retirees (category 3, above).
It is clear from the statistics cited that each of the three Social Security insurance programs includes significant numbers of people with disabilities.
Where United Cerebral Palsy Stands on Social Security
United Cerebral Palsy strongly opposes any changes that would deteriorate the financial health of Social Security. However, UCP supports reasonable adjustments to increase the program’s long-term solvency in order to provide protection to all Americans. Cautious examination of each proposal is essential.
“While the budgetary and economic impact of change must be taken into account, the Congress must candidly explore the consequence of reform on millions of people with disabilities who depend on Social Security for survival,” said Stephen Bennett, President and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy. “We call on the White House and Congress to request comprehensive beneficiary impact statements for every proposal under serious consideration.”
Adapted from Surviving with Social Security by Jim Baker, UCPeople, e-newsletter of United Cerebral Palsy.
Updated March 2007
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