Late last month, the Social Security Administration revealed that "applications for retirement benefits were 23 percent higher than last year, while disability claims have risen by about 20 percent," according to the Associated Press.
Although officials had anticipated that a rise in the number of baby boomers reaching retirement would spur an increase, the jump was more than expected. How come? Because, as the AP concluded, "the recession hit and many older workers suddenly found themselves laid off with no place to turn but Social Security."
In fact, as has been noted here and elsewhere, the downturn has forced many people to make choices that would have been much harder to swallow during earlier good times, including applying for food stamps and visiting food banks.
Naturally, that make's you wonder whether the increase in the number of workers who say they were injured on the job, as the Connecticut Post reports in "Poor Economy Doubles Workers' Comp Claims," stems from the fact that the workplace is more dangerous than it used to be, or from pressure to ease another sort of pain -- in the wallet:
Poor economy forces workers to seek help
HARTFORD -- The recession in Connecticut has resulted in claims for job-related injuries nearly doubling over the last four years, Hearst Connecticut Newspapers have learned.
Initial claims, called first-injury reports by the state Workers' Compensation Commission, totaled 50,841 in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Four years earlier, the total was 26,992 initial claims.
John A. Mastropietro, of Watertown, who as commission chairman supervises 15 at-large commissioners who hear thousands of contested workers' comp cases each year, says that while some of the increase is the result of a change toward electronic filing of claims over the last 18 months, the majority of the rise is due to the economy.
During recent interviews, Mastropietro said that some employees who had been working with injuries will file claims later, after they are laid off by their companies.
"Contested claims can come from employees who may have done something to themselves on the job, but were possibly hesitant to file a claim because of concerns that employer might be in financial trouble," he said. "Six months later, the employer downsizes and at that point the employee might file a claim because they've been laid off. It may very well be legitimate on the part of the employee."
Employers who, during better times, will let workers' comp claims go and let their insurers pay without opposition are also fighting now.
"As the economy gets bad there are a lot more contests," Mastropietro said in a recent interview. "The employers are obviously concerned about their ability to stay in existence, so they pay more attention to employee illnesses and injuries." The recession has also affected the insurance industry, which is now more likely to join in contesting workers' claims, Mastropietro, said.
"Insurance companies have downsized in recent years enormously, thereby leaving fewer claims adjusters, who are now handling a greater volume of cases," he said. "So there's a tendency to not move on the part of those making decisions."
The state's Workers' Compensation Commission, which dates back to 1913, holds a variety of hearings when injured employees and their bosses don't agree.
There were 51,601 first-stage, informal hearings in 2008-09, compared to 42,783 in 2004-05, according to commission annual reports to the General Assembly that are filed each September.
Unemployment benefits run out. Disability claims on SSI don't, but are reviewed now and then.
Just get your doctor to write you a note that you can't work. SSI is usually not all that much, but it is better than actually working a minimum wage job in some cases. (Side note): SSI also qualifies you for government subsidized housing. If your lucky to get in, you pay 30% of your "adjusted monthly income". If you have trouble with getting SSI, there are plenty of lawyers who specialize in pushing your claim through. All in all its a good life if you don't have to have too much in comforts other than basics.
Posted by: HSpencer | October 12, 2009 at 07:56 PM