Under Trump will anything happen to my brothers Social Security Disability? He is 42 and draws it for mental illness.
Under Trump will anything happen to my brothers Social Security Disability? He is 42 and draws it for mental illness.
Short version— we don’t know.
Longer version— it is likely, doge is looking to make cuts, and while it would be insanely unpopular, it could be on the table.
The treasury secretary wants to reduce the deficit to 3% of gdp but also to cut taxes… so cuts to social programs are possible (likely)
So while we can say we don’t know for sure, it is highly likely.
Just to clarify "doge" isn't a real thing and has no real power. They can propose cuts, but it would be the senate and the house that would have to pass changes to social security. They may take up initiatives "doge" proposes, but it'll be your representatives that make the actual choice.
While we can’t say for sure, I’d certainly be wargaming some possible outcomes and how to respond to them.
Wouldn’t surprise me if disability for mental health reasons was high on the list of things to cut. It’s effectively an “invisible” disability, which makes it somewhat easier to cut while limiting loss of political capital.
I wish you all the best getting through the upcoming difficult years. You’re a genuinely good person for caring and thinking far enough ahead to realize the question needs to be asked.
For other folks reading this, now is an excellent time to review your payroll deductions and ensure you’re paying for private disability coverage - both short and long term. It’s one of the least expensive ways to hedge against the crazy of the next four years.
Yes, OP should definitely prepare for the worst and hope it doesn’t happen.
Mental Illness is not only an invisible disability but has been scapegoated before. “Just suck it up”, “fake”, I’m sure your brother has heard those and worse. While there’s no way to predict what they’ll consider “waste”, we know they can’t make their goal without cutting a lot of necessary programs. This one does seem risky
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-top-5-ways-project-2025-would-hurt-disabled-people/
Seems like they will be pushing for more work requirements, less funding, and fewer legal protections (ie pre-existing conditions)
"Pre-existing conditions" is just insurance industry slang for something we all have: "medical history".
"It says here on your application that you consume multiple substances daily which long term users are known to have a 100% fatality rate. I'm afraid we're going to have to deny you coverage."
"What substances?"
"Air and water. Your dependence on them is a non-covered pre-existing condition."
It's sort of up in the air right now. He's made a lot of promises to not cut social security benefits, but the tax cuts he wants to give the rich and his insane tarrifs plan both threaten to deplete funding for social security within a few years. Hopefully nothing bad will happen but benefits definitely aren't going to get any better.
I hope not. My brother is in the same boat and if his services get cut, I don't know how he will survive.
But at least we'll have cheap eggs and gas. 🙄
That's just it. They don't want them to survive.
Also, we won't get cheap eggs and gas.
Just assume it'll be gone and go from there. All social services and government protections are at risk.
Hard to fucking tell, but if you're able to help him build a contingency plan its never a bad idea.
As a traveling nurse what type of plan could I give him?
It's a reach but are there any other passports/residencies that you might be eligible for? The UK has some ancestral homeland recovery options and your religion or ethnicity may also entitle you to some options.
If the US goes as tits up as it's looking it'll be fucking impossible to have a disability and support yourself - Elon has his eyes locked on Medicaid and non-age-based Medicare recipients... and the Dual-eligibles are likely the first on the chopping block.
If (thing) cost money and benefits non-milionaires, consider them at least at risk.
If Trump somehow can eliminate taxes on social security, the fund will have to reduce benefits sooner than projected. The cut will only benefit 40% of recipients that pay taxes, and that lack of extra funds comming into the system will bring it closer to insolvency, sooner rather than later. So unless your brother is one the 40% that will immediately benefit from the tax cut, he'll get to look forward to lower payments sometime in the nearer future.
It's impossible to know, he's a bit of a wildcard.
The one redeeming thing about right populists is that they generally want to be popular, so it's perhaps less likely for him to do it than a more "conventional" republican.
They never want to be popular by actually helping people. They're popular by spreading hate and fear. If you're a member of a group that they consider "inferior", you're very much a target.
They'd rather see the disabled die off than spend any taxes on them.
The only people he cares about being popular with are extreme right wing fanatics and other billionaires who are propping him up. All of these people have a weird "survival of the fittest" fetish so they probably won't be pushing to help anyone who actually needs it
The one redeeming thing about right populists is that they generally want to be popular
Are you insane, stoned, or just not particularly well-jnformed?
Depends on the time of day.