Trump administration limits Social Security access – By Megan Henney (FOX Business) / Feb 26 2020
The change limits non-English speakers’ access to benefits
The Trump administration finalized a rule this week that would limit access to Social Security disability benefits for non-English speakers, part of the president’s ongoing efforts to tighten work requirements and impose restrictions for anti-poverty programs.
The Social Security Administration announced a rule Monday that would eliminate English speaking as an assessment of an applicants’ education. It would go into effect on April 27. Whether or not an applicant speaks English is one of several factors, like education level, used to check whether that individual has the capacity to find work outside of their medical condition.
“It is important that we have an up-to-date disability program,” Social Security Commission Andrew Saul said in a news release. “The workforce and work opportunities have changed and outdated regulations need to be revised to reflect today’s world.”
Eliminating that factor would make it more difficult for individuals who don’t speak English to obtain aid. The federal government pays disability benefits worth an average of $1,200 per month to people who are unable to work because of the onset of a severe illness or injury. An estimated 8.5 million received disabled-worker benefits, which are financed by part of the Social Security payroll tax.
Most beneficiaries are older and have severe physical or mental impairments. About 75 percent of recipients are over the age of 50, and nearly 35 percent are at least 60 years old, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Mortality among older beneficiaries is three to six times the average for their age group; many die within a few years of qualifying for the aid.
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