Many people wonder where the future of disability insurance is headed. Exploring common disability insurance trends and predictions may help you better prepare for potential changes to come. Applying for disability insurance can be complicated, but you do not have to do this without guidance. Reach out to a Pennsylvania disability attorney to learn more.

Disability Insurance Trends

Exploring social security disability trends may help you better understand what to expect from disability benefits. This may also help with understanding why the eligibility criteria for disability benefits are stricter than other programs. Despite this, many people might be surprised to learn that the overall number of disability benefits recipients has increased significantly from 1990 to 2002 timeframe:

• 84% increase in workers with disabilities
• 105% increase in widowers with disabilities
• 24% increase in adult children with disabilities

Stricter eligibility criteria are needed when more people apply for benefits to ensure that only those who genuinely need benefits receive those benefits. Not only has the number of people receiving benefits increased in massive ways, but so have the cash benefits from disability insurance.

On the other side, there has been a decrease in those receiving concurrency with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This may tie into why the total cost of SSI increased by about 90% during that timeframe for the SSI program as a whole. One difficulty is that this SSI program may not have kept up with subsequent increases in the cost of living.

The increase in applicants and recipients of SSI benefits has likely contributed to the problem of SSI costing more money. This becomes more challenging due to the fact that there has also been a steady increase in those receiving both SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Where is Disability Insurance Headed?

Many people wonder about the future of disability benefits and how this may impact their future. This is where disability benefits predictions come into play with projections and related data. Recent trends have actually shown a decrease in disability incidents but a simultaneous increase in disability prevalence.

Researchers speculate the increase in disability prevalence could be explained by declining mortality for older people. As people age, the chance of acquiring a disability increases while the disability incidence rate for younger people remains low. The researchers also theorize that the lower disability incidence rate could be explained by an increase in jobs with less physical labor.

There are predictions that what decreases disability benefit recipients is discouragement from stringent criteria, backlogs of applications, and disability policy changes, whereas increases in disability recipients could be explained by age shifts, recessions, and unemployment rates.

Consider contacting a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if you have questions about the process for applying for disability benefits.

Call Edelstein & Nelson Today

You may not have to go through the disability benefits application process alone. Do not hesitate to talk to a Pennsylvania individual disability insurance lawyer to explore your options for disability benefits. Contact Edelstein & Nelson by dialing (800) 300-0909 for a consultation about your situation. Our legal team can help you find ways to increase your chances of receiving disability benefits to cover your living expenses.