In talking about our incessant move toward an entitlement culture and society, I mentioned yesterday that under Obama the government has been adding people to the Social Security disability roles at a rate of nearly 1000 people a day. This is far above the rates experience under previous presidents and one of the reasons our unemployment rate has been falling, though slightly.  The suspicion is that Obama has essentially ordered the Social Security Disability floodgates to do two things.  First, create a false impression of improved employment numbers, and secondly to increase government dependency – the sacrament of Democrats. 

Yesterday I wondered what the requirements were for someone to leave the workplace and enjoy a life on Social Security disability … and I’m sorry, but for many that’s the way it looks right now. 

So .. putting on my lawyer hat (I’ve practiced before Social Security Administrative Law Judges) ... prepare to be bored. 

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must first have worked in jobs covered by Social Security.  Then you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability.

You are “disabled” under Social Security if:

- You cannot do work that you did before;

- We decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s);

- Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

Here are the five questions used to determine if you are eligible:

1. Are you working?

2. Is your condition "severe"?

3. Is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions?

4. Can you do the work you did previously?

5. Can you do any other type of work?

In addition to meeting the definition of disability, you must have worked long enough--and recently enough--under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits.

What Medical Conditions Qualify for Social Security Disability?

• musculoskeletal problems, such as back injuries
• cardiovascular conditions, such as heart failure or coronary artery disease
• senses and speech issues, such as vision and hearing loss
• respiratory illnesses, such as COPD or asthma
• neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy
• mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, autism, or retardation
• immune system disorders, such as HIV/AIDS, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis
• various syndromes, such as Sjogren's Syndrome and Marfan Syndrome
• skin disorders, such as dermatitis
• digestive tract problems, such as liver disease or IBD
• kidney disease and genitourinary problems, and 
• cancer.

Social Security work credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income. You can earn up to four credits each year.

From the SSA: The amount needed for a credit changes from year to year. In 2012, for example, you earn one credit for each $1,130 of wages or self-employment income. When you've earned $4,520, you've earned your four credits for the year.

The number of work credits you need to qualify for disability benefits depends on your age when you become disabled. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

How long can you receive payments?  Benefits usually continue until you are able to work again on a regular basis. There are also a number of special rules, called "work incentives," that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work.  If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits when you reach full retirement age, your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount remains the same.

And now, from The Heritage Foundation, Oct 2012, an article that shows how, under Obama, Able-Bodied People Defrauding Social Security Disability Program

An 18-month investigation by a Senate subcommittee reports that in more than 25 percent of cases reviewed, evidence confirming disabilities was “insufficient, contradictory, or incomplete.”

A recipient’s award is not chump change, averaging $1,111 per month and $300,000 over the course of a lifetime. In addition, after a 24-month waiting period, SSDI beneficiaries qualify for Medicare benefits.  In SSDI, disabilities include a range of problems, but about one-third of the diagnoses are mental disorders.

Heritage analyst James Sherk reports that the rise in SSDI rolls accounts for about a third of the drop in labor force participation between 2007 and 2011; overall, six percent of the country’s adult population say they are not working due to a disability.