Disability and the Great Recession

The Great Recession, as this time has become known, has taken quite a toll on the workforce of all American citizens.  But even in the best of economic times unemployment rates rank high for people with disabilities. Times of recession tend to cause unemployment among the disabled to soar.

For more than a decade the unemployment rate for disabled citizens has been approximately 30 percent. With the onset of the recession that number has been on the rise. According to the Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics the oldest and youngest of the work-force are having the hardest time finding work regardless of disability, but disabled workers are more likely to drop out of the labor market. This generally happens out of a continual sense of discouragement. It hasn’t been a lack of eagerness to find a job, but as the recession wore on, disabled people of all age groups dropped out of the workforce in higher percentages than those of those without disabilities.

Alabama has been hit particularly hard in the area of social services with a record number of Medicaid enrollments in the 2010 fiscal year. The increase in numbers began in 2007 and has been on a steady incline ever since.

While all of these numbers and statistics are overwhelming, the good news is that even with the recession in full swing it is still possible to get disability payments through the government’s Social Security system. It is true that unemployment is still high among the workforce in general in the US and globally. The system is a confusing on and having an advocate to help you through the process is imperative. Get the help you need in filing and receiving your Social Security Benefits.