The unemployment rate for persons with disabilities has reached its highest rate since tracking began in 2008, according to a survey conducted by Allsup, a nationwide provider of SSD representation and Medicare plan selection services.
The Allsup Disability Study: Income at Risk shows that the unemployment rate for persons with disabilities was more than 85 percent higher than the rate for people with no disabilities for the third quarter of 2011. Specifically, the average unemployment rate for persons with disabilities was 16.3 percent, while the unemployment rate for persons with no disabilities was 8.8 percent. The information was based on non-seasonally adjusted data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although the unemployment rate for persons with disabilities is at an all-time high, the study revealed that the number of people with disabilities who applied for SSD was down 3 percent for the third quarter of 2011 from the previous quarter. Since the fourth quarter of 2007, when the recession began, more than 10.8 million people have applied for SSDI, with nearly 1.8 million SSDI claims currently pending with the Social Security Administration. The average cumulative wait time to claim is currently more than 800 days, based on Allsup’s analysis of the social security claims backlog.
According to Paul Gada, personal financial planning director for the Allsup Disability Life Planning Center, “disability applications have increased significantly over the past few years…The economy is one factor, with some people with disabilities never able to return to work after a layoff. Another factor is the aging population, with most baby boomers now in their late 40s to early 60s,” Gada said. The average SSDI applicant is nearly 53 years old.
The Chicago social security disability law firm of Ankin Law Offices, LLC focuses on helping clients with their SSDI and SSI disability needs. If you would like more information regarding the claim, contact our office at (800) 442-6546 to schedule a free consultation with one of our Chicago social security disability lawyers.