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This American Life did a good report on this a few years back. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/490/trends-with-benefits https://www.this

• ThomPete 10y ago
  Yeah one of the big aha things for me was how the states are hiring companies to help people get onto disabilities as they are a federal responsibility. That and how many who knows the system acknowledges that many really have no hope besides getting onto disabilities.
• DanTheManPR 10y ago
  Something stuck me when I first listened to this: there was a little anecdote about how one of the radio producer's co-workers had an injured back, but continued to work at his office job with relatively little impact on his performance. The same kind of injury would be career-ending for someone who's primary job skills are in a field that involved manual labor (e.g., welder, plumber, or one of the many oil-extraction jobs). The growth of disability claims is often characterized as a case of people gaming the system to extract handouts from the government. But maybe what is happening is we're seeing aging boomers and gen-xers who work as manual laborers, and who's bodies are finally breaking down to the point that they can no-longer function at their jobs. That seems like genuine disability to me, and so isn't it appropriate for them to use these government services?
  • brianwawok 10y ago
    Do you have personal experience with this? For example I know someone on disability who used to sell cars, that hunts every day. Is hunting easier on your body then selling cars? I don't think so, but it is likely more fun.