A new report from the Census Bureau shows that the number of people in this country dealing with a “severe disability” has increased by a significant amount over the last five years.
For the purposes of this report, a severe disability is defined as the following: someone who needs a cane, walker, wheelchair or crutches to get around; someone who needs help performing basic functions, such as seeing or speaking; someone who needs help with basic tasks, such as getting out of bed; or someone who lives with a mental or emotional condition that makes everyday functionality very, very difficult.
What the report from the Census Bureau found is that in 2010, about 5.5 percent of adults aged between 16 and 65 suffered from a severe disability that met one of these criteria. But just five years later, that figure has gone up to 6 percent. Worse still, it doesn’t appear that this increase can be blamed simply on an aging population. In fact, even the 25-35 age group report a half percent increase in severe disabilities from 2010 to 2015 (the figure went up from 4.5 percent to 5 percent).
Why the rate of people with severe disabilities is happening is almost irrelevant. Obviously it’s an important question — but in this case, the result is arguably more important. With more people living with severe disabilities, it means more people need help from Social Security. And as we outlined recently, the Social Security system is backed up at the moment. People with these severe disabilities will need legal help to ensure their case is handled efficiently and properly.
Source: LifeHealthPro, “10 states where workers went to hell,” Allison Bell, Nov. 11, 2015