Washington, DC – The Alliance for Retired Americans welcomes the Administration’s decision to halt its proposed overhaul of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) eligibility rules after overwhelming negative feedback from the public. The change would have made it significantly harder for millions of older Americans with disabilities to receive the benefits they have earned.
Just weeks ago, the Alliance joined Members of Congress and disability advocates in raising serious concerns about the proposal, which would have raised the age threshold for disability evaluations to 60 years old or eliminated age as a factor entirely. That change would have ignored the realities older workers face in the job market and threatened to cut eligibility by as much as 20 percent overall and up to 30 percent for older applicants.
“Today’s reversal is a victory for every American who has worked hard, paid into Social Security, and counted on the program to be there if they became disabled,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “The proposal would have broken the promise of Social Security and punished older Americans who are no longer able to work. We are relieved that the Administration has listened to seniors, disability advocates, and members of Congress.”
“These benefits are earned,” Fiesta continued. “They are not handouts or political bargaining chips. Americans deserve a disability system that recognizes the challenges of aging. We will always fight alongside workers, retirees, and our allies in Congress to strengthen Social Security — not weaken it.”
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Contact: Lisa Cutler at [email protected]
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