Social Security Disability Claims Rise 50% in Four Years

January 26, 2004 Social Security Disability Claims Rise 50% in Four Years From 1999 to 2003, applications for social security disability payments rose more than 50% and the number of people enrolled in the program grew by one million. Almost 200,000 people applied for disability benefits in October 2003, up 20% from the previous month, matching the highest level of application for Social Security Disability Insurance. Almost all of the increase is attributed to difficult to verify disabilities like back pain, chronic fatigue, and mental disorders allowed under new guidelines. Under the guidelines established in April 1999, disability under . . .