CW: Suicidality & Poverty
Earl Barry who lives in Virginia says that applying for Social Security benefits has been a “demoralizing experience”. He has been waiting for The Social Security Administration to make a decision on his application for more than a year. “It’s been very difficult and I am under– I had to seek therapy because I was considering suicide,” Barry told WTVR.
Barry used to work at Office Depot, but he became sick with severe pneumonia. He developed an irregular heartbeat a few years ago. At times, his irregular heartbeat leaves him short of breath and dizzy.
He initially applied for Social Security Disability Insurance in October of 2022. Unfortunately, he was denied. Being denied is not unusual. Approximately 65% of all disability claims filed with the Social Security Administration are denied on the first application.
He reapplied two months later and was denied again. The Social Security Administration denied Barry’s application due to a “medical reason.” Subsequently, Barry contacted the Social Security Administration because he was confused.
According to a representative Barry’s application was the issue, rather than his medical documentation.
In March 2024 Barry said that the company Premiere Disability submitted a review request on his behalf. The Social Security Administration is currently taking an average of seven months to respond to reconsideration requests. Barry also says Premier Disability recently informed him of a potential further delay. “The representative found out that our appeal that we filed was not handled properly by SSA in March when they were supposed to have done it. They didn’t transfer the file from the person who had it, the auditor, to the office for the appeal,” Barry said.
Barry can’t wait any longer for his application to be approved. He has depleted his savings account. His house, located in Buckingham County, VA has also been foreclosed on. Soon, he will be forced to live in his car.
Unfortunately, Barry is not the only person who has faced housing insecurity due to trouble with their Social Security benefits.Every night Denise Woods drives her Chevy around strip malls, truck stops, and parking lots around Savannah, Georgia, looking for a safe spot to sleep. She became homeless after the Social Security Administration cut off her disability benefits.
Woods, 51, said she rented a three-bedroom house with her adult son and grandson. However, in March 2022, the government abruptly discontinued her disability payments. The Social Security Administration decided that it had been overpaying Woods and asked that she return about $58,000, according to letters she received .
Woods was unable to acquire the money she needed. As a result, the SSA is withholding the $2,048 in disability she would have received each month until February 2026. “I still don’t know how it happened,” Woods, told KFF Health News in December of 2023. Woods had requested a waiver and was seeking a hearing. “No one will give me answers. It takes weeks or months to get a caseworker on the phone. They have made my life unbearable.”
Making things more complicated is the lack of accessible, affordable housing available for disabled people. Apartment List conducted a study in February 2020 utilizing data from the American Community Survey and the American Housing Survey. According to the report, only 9% of households with a disabled family member reside in an accessible home. Even though more than 15% of American households have a member who is physically disabled, just 6% of homes are accessible.
Disability benefits must provide a livable income for those who need them. The disability benefits system in the United States needs to be reformed. People’s lives depend on these benefits.
Sources:
Clasen-Kelly, Fred. “‘I Am Just Waiting to Die’: Social Security Clawbacks Drive Some into Homelessness.” KFF Health News, KFF, 20 Dec. 2023, kffhealthnews.org/news/article/social-security-clawbacks-homelessness/.
Layne, Tyler. “Virginia Man with Heart Condition Calls Applying for Social Security Disability a ‘demoralizing’ Experience.” WTVR, CBS News, 24 July 2024, http://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/earl-barry-social-security-july-24-2024.
Trudeau, Joyce. “Does Social Security Disability Deny Everyone the First Time They Apply?” Disability Secrets, Nolo, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/does-social-security-deny-you-the-first-time-you-apply-for-disability.html.
Warnock, Rob. “How Accessible Is the Housing Market?” Apartment List , Apartment List, 19 February, 2020, http://www.apartmentlist.com/research/how-accessible-is-the-housing-market.