WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Improving Employment Options for DI Beneficiaries Act to make it easier for Americans with disabilities to apply for the Social Security Disability Program and cut waste in the program by improving vocational data and eligibility criteria.
“Individuals with disabilities should not be unfairly penalized because of outdated data,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Current job classifications include nut sorters and seal hunters, occupations which are not reflected in today’s job market. We need an up-to-date job database to ensure those with disabilities do not fall through the cracks.”
“For too long, Ohioans with disabilities have been at an unfair disadvantage because of the outdated economic data used by the Social Security Administration,” said Senator Brown. “This bill will require SSA to use today’s data to run today’s programs and ensure that disabled Americans are not unfairly punished.”
To qualify for the Social Security Disability Program an individual must have no job opportunities available because of their condition. Currently, the list of jobs that are considered available includes the seal hunter industry, nut sorters, dowel inspectors, egg processors, and elevator operators. The list was last updated in 1977. This legislation would eliminate obsolete jobs from the job list to reflect the opportunities available in the current national economy.
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