Karris Golden: Playing field is not level for Iowans with disabilities [The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa]

Feb. 5—My friend "X" sometimes asked for my help with the mind-numbing story problem of her disability benefits.

It shouldn't be so difficult. Sure, people shouldn't game the system; those who do should be punished. However, prevention efforts are imperfect — as is prosecution — and often hurts those we hope to help.

Ongoing disability reviews were estimated to net $9 in average savings per $1 dedicated to "program integrity funding" between 2015 to 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.

X's disability is the result of an accident. She required a wheelchair, a specially equipped vehicle and a caregiver for some daily needs. Government assistance helped pay for some of this.

If you qualify as "disabled," there are potential earnings and asset restrictions.

Maintaining and keeping her assistance could be grueling. X had earned bachelor's and master's degrees. She was smart and good at many things, but she couldn't earn too much.

Plus, X faced a paradox: being seen as capable but explaining intricacies of her salary restrictions.

Some employers didn't want to bother. One of our most difficult brainstorming sessions resulted when X lost her part-time job, because the employer was tired of running the equation.

It's an odd dilemma, X would tell me: She could either find a high-salary job or low-paying part-time work that kept her beneath the cap.

Odd, yes, but not uncommon (or isolated to one government program). In the United States, "disabled' means a person has a physical or mental impairment, including learning disability, that substantially limits one or more major activities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA also identifies service-disabled veterans as a person who served in the active military, naval or air service, whose disability was incurred or aggravated.

If you qualify as "disabled," there are potential earnings and asset restrictions.

To receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your work history and medical condition must leave you unable to work for at least a year (or your condition is expected to end in death). SSDI includes an income cap and no asset restrictions.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is based on disability and financial need. SSI work income restrictions are even more complex. It has an asset ceiling on "countable resources" of $2,000 and $3,000 for individuals and couples, respectively.

Iowa is among the states that allow SSDI and SSI recipients to have Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) savings accounts. These accounts can be used for disability-related expenses and provide tax advantages "to certain people with disabilities," notes Iowa Disability Benefits Network.

That's a few of the many columns to balance. The bottom line is that it's incredibly difficult to manage the logistics of a disability.

X spent many hours learning all the angles, and she tried to help others who didn't have her education and experience. All she wanted was to do meaningful work, raise her family and live with dignity and peace.

It shows the playing field is not level. Showing everyone the starting line doesn't bring equity into play. It doesn't acknowledge that some runners haven't received the course map; others haven't been told a map exists; and still others aren't aware of pitfalls.

If we haven't experienced something directly, we aren't likely to ask questions. Sometimes, we assume we'll be covered if we do need help. We don't think much about why we feel so assured, and we don't force ourselves to consider what we'd do if that comfort disappeared.

We don't necessarily ask ourselves how we came to know at least where to start when faced with new tasks or problems. We have our networks and connections, and we trust we know someone who will steer us right. Even when stumped, we don't feel self-conscious asking "stupid" questions.

If we thought about these things, perhaps we'd view people in need of assistance differently.

Karris Golden is a Gazette editorial fellow. Comments: [email protected]

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