Trump Plan Would Limit Disability Benefits

Wednesday, October 08, 2025

The Trump administration is proposing changes to Social Security that could reshape how millions of older Americans qualify for disability benefits, and critics warn it could leave some struggling just before retirement.

Posted by reinheitsgebot at 08:33 AM | 58 COMMENTS | permalink

The Trump administration is reportedly plotting a major overhaul of Social Security that could see hundreds of thousands of older Americans lose their disability benefits.

[image or embed]
-- The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) Oct 6, 2025 at 6:46 AM

Comments

"This ghoulish scheme would reduce eligibility for the disability program by 10%, resulting in 750,000 fewer people receiving benefits for all or part of the next decade. Moreover, 80,000 fewer widows and children would receive benefits due to the loss in eligibility of a spouse or parent."

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-10-06 04:32 AM

"Screw the weak"

#2 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-10-06 06:14 AM

Just more of the fascist right wing project 2025 agenda.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-10-06 11:05 AM

This is an attempt to make sure the disability benefits get to those who are actually disabled.

#4 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-10-06 05:07 PM

This is an attempt to make sure the disability benefits get to those who are actually disabled.

#4 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

You just crack me up.

Really, I admire your droll sense of humor.

It's hilarious how you always try to make the dictator into a nice and competent man.

Keep it up.

#5 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-06 05:10 PM

4 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Tell us how much the dictator loves puppies and kittens.

#6 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-06 05:11 PM

"This ghoulish scheme would reduce eligibility for the disability program by 10%"

This is an attempt to make sure the disability benefits get to those who are actually disabled.
#4 | Posted by lfthndthrds

So you just happen to know exactly 10% of disabled people are faking it.

Can we see your data?

#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-06 05:59 PM

Can we see your data?
#7 | POSTED BY SNOOFY

lol

#8 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-06 08:17 PM

Denying folks who stroked in their 50s the disability they paid into for the last 30-odd years is not going to balance the budget. And it just causes more problems to the families, community, etc.

So why do it?

And the article doesn't even mention fraud, it mentioned making disability impossible for people who worked into their 50-60s and had a health emergency. So why bring up fraud. Even if the fraud number is 10%, why punish the other 90% who have a legitimate need?

#9 | Posted by horstngraben at 2025-10-08 11:50 AM

-So why do it?

Do what, exactly?

propose changes or actually implement them?

You're making a good argument to not implement those changes.

But proposing them? Well, that's the fun part for Trump. I'm not saying he doesn't want to implement these changes...but we aren't there yet.

#10 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 11:52 AM

Unfortunately, there is a lot of fraud in the SSDI program.

#11 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-10-08 12:31 PM

Re 11

Define "a lot"

AI overview

Fraud in Social Security disability is rare, with most improper payments being due to errors rather than deliberate fraud. In FY2023, the SSA's payment accuracy rate was over 99%, with improper payments (which include errors) at just 0.3%. While fraud and scams targeting the system are a concern and are investigated, outright fraud in Social Security disability claims is only a small fraction of these improper payments.

Please be careful not to spread this administrations lies and propaganda.

#12 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-08 12:36 PM

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of fraud in the SSDI program."

Then why do they never find more than 1% when investigating?

#13 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-10-08 12:39 PM

Then why do they never find more than 1% when investigating?

#13 | POSTED BY DANFORTH

Less than 1%

.3%

Apparently.

#14 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-08 12:49 PM

So you just happen to know exactly 10% of disabled people are faking it.
Can we see your data?
#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-06 05:59 PM | Reply | Flag:
(Choose)

Hopefully it's less but the assumption is 10% of those receiving the benefits don't qualify and should be kicked off. Dems hate this because it's usually them who are cheating the system and allowing it.

#15 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-10-08 02:10 PM

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of fraud in the SSDI program."
Then why do they never find more than 1% when investigating?

#13 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-10-08 12:39 PM | Reply | Flag:

That would be great, then only 1% would lose benefits.

#16 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-10-08 02:13 PM

"Hopefully it's less but the assumption is 10% of those receiving the benefits don't qualify and should be kicked off."

If it's less than 10%, people who deserve benefits are going to be kicked off when 10% get kicked off.
Assuming they're somehow capable of making an accurate determination, which of course they aren't.

#17 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 02:19 PM

"Dems hate this because it's usually them who are cheating the system and allowing it."

It's sad how you just lie to yourself in almost every post.
You have no clue who gets SSDI in this country -- but getting SSDI is not partisan.

#18 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 02:20 PM

My statement is anecdotal. Perhaps I should have withheld it. But I've personally known a number of people who were perfectly capable of working, who were collecting SSDI benefits. Same goes for military disability benefits.

I'll qualify it this time... In my opinion, disability programs are rife with abuse.

Some Examples:
Couple who both collect full SSDI for floaters in their eyes. They see better than I do.
Person who collected military disability for lactose intolerance.
More than one obese person who collects SSDI for undefined back problems.
Woman who collects SSDI for undefined neurological issues.
Middle aged men and women who collect military disability, even as they work full time jobs and lead very active lives... Golf, hiking, boating, etc. One of them still works as a baggage handler at a local airport.. mostly so he can travel for free. Another works as a prison guard. Most of his health issues are related to alcohol consumption.
...
None of the above are any more disabled than I am.

I'm not saying that these programs should be eliminated. There are MANY people who genuinely need these benefits. But I think recipients should get far more scrutiny. It feels like far more than .3% to me.

#19 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-10-08 02:27 PM

"Dems hate this because it's usually them who are cheating the system and allowing it."

Of the ones I've known abusing the system, most are Republicans.

#20 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-10-08 02:29 PM

"In my opinion, disability programs are rife with abuse."

In my opinion, the abuse of disability programs is a natural outgrowth of an economy that cannot sustain the lower class.

Even Eberly can agree with that! (Though he is the only Republican who can agree with it.)

#21 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 02:30 PM

This is like saying 25% cuts to cancer research is a good idea because 25% of cancer research is fraudulent.

And Republicans really believe that to be the case. They really think cancer research is rife with fraud.

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 02:32 PM

"Of the ones I've known abusing the system, most are Republicans."

Like Marjorie Taylor Greene, crying that her kids will be hurt if Obamacare Handouts stop.

#23 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 02:35 PM

One AI overview: "Over 72.5 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, including SSDI and SSI, as of 2025. While political affiliation is not tracked in SSDI enrollment statistics, surveys indicate that 49% of Republicans support increasing funding for SSI, suggesting that a significant portion of Republicans may benefit from or support these programs. Disabled veterans may qualify for benefits from both the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."

#24 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-10-08 02:38 PM

In my opinion, the abuse of disability programs is a natural outgrowth of an economy that cannot sustain the lower class.

#21 | Posted by snoofy

I think there is some truth to that.

#25 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-10-08 02:45 PM

"SSA's payment accuracy rate was over 99%"

what does payment accuracy mean, exactly?

It doesn't necessarily mean that the system isn't paying benefits to someone who really shouldn't qualify.

Because it absolutely does.....but that's through my lense of who I think should qualify for disability and who shouldn't.

I know several people who qualified for disability who were nothing but lazy alcoholics/addicts.

They didn't have some illness or injury that kept them from working unless you want to count the alcoholism as an illness that keeps you from working.

I think that's why there is so belief the system is defrauded so much. It's not that it's defrauded or scammed.....it's that SSA's definition of disability is questioned by many.

#26 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 02:57 PM

Exactly....we see this through our own lense of anecdotal experience.

#27 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 03:02 PM

#26

Agree

#28 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-10-08 03:41 PM

I know several people who qualified for disability who were nothing but lazy alcoholics/addicts.

They didn't have some illness or injury that kept them from working unless you want to count the alcoholism as an illness that keeps you from working.

I think that's why there is so belief the system is defrauded so much. It's not that it's defrauded or scammed.....it's that SSA's definition of disability is questioned by many.

#26 | Posted by eberly

Addicts are almost always the victims of some sort of trauma or abuse.
Count yourself lucky you aren't one of them.

And widespread misery also leads to more addiction. A society that takes better care of its working class would have far less addicts than ours does.

#29 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-10-08 03:45 PM

They didn't have some illness or injury that kept them from working unless you want to count the alcoholism as an illness that keeps you from working.
#26 | Posted by eberly

^
"Counting or not counting gang violence?"

#30 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 03:49 PM

It feels like far more than .3% to me.

#19 | POSTED BY WHATSLEFT

Yes. Obviously we not should be kicking folks off of SSDI based upon your "feelings".

I know several people who qualified for disability who were nothing but lazy alcoholics/addicts.

Yeah. Even Jesus said to F those as holes. Right?

And now the rest of the story.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) alone does not qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, but it can contribute to an eligible disability if it causes other severe, work-preventing physical or mental impairments, such as liver damage, brain damage, or severe depression, and if those impairments would continue to prevent you from working even if you stopped drinking.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not automatically consider addiction a disability, but rather looks at how the addiction's consequences limit your ability to perform Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).

#31 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-08 04:05 PM

I'm just saying that's why a lot of folks think SSD is so full of fraud and abuse.

I do consider myself lucky.

#32 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 04:42 PM

I'm just saying that's why a lot of folks think SSD is so full of fraud and abuse.

#32 | Posted by eberly

A lot of folks think a lot of untrue things because the billionaires who own the media want them to, in order to advance an agenda that helps the billionaires.

#33 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-10-08 05:19 PM

That's not why myself and Whatsleft have the opinion of people who we don't consider to really be disabled collecting disability.

It may be a bias and maybe even wrong....but it's not because the media convinced us of anything.

It's because I think a lazy alcoholic should get off his ass and stop leeching off the rest of us.

Whatsleft even says they are all republicans.....did he get that from the billionaire owned media?

no way

#34 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 05:32 PM

"It's because I think a lazy alcoholic should get off his ass and stop leeching off the rest of us."

And you think you and millions of people just thought of this independently, without the media giving you any ideas that lazy alcoholics are somehow obtaining benefits they aren't entitled to.

Millions of Republicans think Democrats are shutting down government until Republicans agree to give benefits to illegals.

Benefits they aren't entitled to.

I wonder how they got that idea.

#35 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 05:39 PM

Alcoholism is a disease.

Thinking people should stop having a disease is just Thoughts and Prayers, minus the Thoughts and Prayers thing where you pretended you cared before you went back to not caring.

You just want an excuse to be nasty to people. Especially to the people you think are nasty.

#36 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 05:43 PM

-A society that takes better care of its working class would have far less addicts than ours does.

Yeah, I've seen ghettos.

#37 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 05:44 PM

Why did you go with ghettos and not our national leaders RFK Jr. and Pete Hegseth, both addicts?

Racism is why.

#38 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 05:51 PM

I'd rather billionaires pay taxes at higher rates than the rest of us rather than worry about what an insignificant number of alcoholics are doing.

#39 | Posted by ClownShack at 2025-10-08 05:56 PM

I don't disagree but it's fun to bag on someone.

Christians
Jews
Blacks
gays
nazis
addicts

LOL.....it's all on the menu here......

#40 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 06:00 PM

A lot of folks think a lot of untrue things because the billionaires who own the media want them to, in order to advance an agenda that helps the billionaires.
#33 | Posted by SpeakSoftly

It is more pernicious than simply believing lies.

It's not untrue that there are addicts in the ghetto.

Ghetto is what Eberly associates with addicts. Not, you know, Kitty Dukakis. She gets a pass. She's not the "ghetto" kind of Democrat addict

That's how it works.

#41 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 06:01 PM

disability kept a family member of mine out of my house. He was able to live by himself because he received SSD.

Yeah...lazy alcoholic but thank god I didn't have him under my roof.

He eventually drank himself to death.

#42 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 06:02 PM

Average Social Security Benefit Per Month
Average SSDI benefit of $1,580 for 2025
Monthly Social Security disability benefits range from $100 to $4,018 in 2025.

Such a boondoggle, when taking SSD you are taking a substantial financial hit from your working income.

www.disabilitysecrets.com

#43 | Posted by mattm at 2025-10-08 06:21 PM

-A society that takes better care of its working class would have far less addicts than ours does.

Yeah, I've seen ghettos.

#37 | Posted by eberly

And then you vote for the party that makes them worse

#44 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-10-08 06:35 PM

He eventually drank himself to death.

#42 | POSTED BY EBERLY

That and fentanyl will destroy the entire MAGA State of West Virginia.

#45 | Posted by Zed at 2025-10-08 06:56 PM

In my opinion, the abuse of disability programs is a natural outgrowth of an economy that cannot sustain the lower class.
#21 | Posted by snoofy

Correct, how can lower class sustain when its inundated with illegal immigration

You are indirectly saying, illegal immigration is why disability programs are abused.

#46 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-10-08 07:04 PM

And then you vote for the party that makes them worse
#44 | POSTED BY SPEAKSOFTLY

Ghettos are worse because the US allowed illegal immigrants into the country without mitigation.

#47 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-10-08 07:07 PM

Yeah...lazy alcoholic but thank god I didn't have him under my roof.
He eventually drank himself to death.
#42 | Posted by eberly

That's how you treat family.

#48 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 07:15 PM

So Eberly you should want to keep disability intact, to keep these lowlifes out of your hair.

#49 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 07:17 PM

Ghettos are worse because the US allowed illegal immigrants into the country without mitigation.

#47 | Posted by oneironaut

How did illegal immigrants enact reagonomics on the entire economy?

#50 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-10-08 07:57 PM

Ghettos are worse because the US allowed illegal immigrants into the country without mitigation.
#47 | Posted by oneironaut

Yes, bringing over those slaves is the root if the problem.

#51 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 08:07 PM

Stupid, lazy people should be paid to not work.

I support a UBI, or perhaps work opt-out subsidies.

One of the biggest expenses for businesses who hire low-income workers is turnover. Repeated training, pervasive lack of leadership or culture, which results in lower wages and more expensive goods.

And stupid lazy people suck to deal with, especially in service where many are employed.

Imagine no stupid people...
...you may say I'm a dreamer...

#52 | Posted by horstngraben at 2025-10-08 08:11 PM

Ghettos are a big reason why we have suburbs.

And why people live in the country

#53 | Posted by eberly at 2025-10-08 08:19 PM

Slavery is why we have black people.

Racism is why black people were pushed into ghettos.

#54 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 08:24 PM

"Stupid, lazy people should be paid to not work."

^
It's just like when the libs say "we should take in refugees!"

And Republicans say "Fine, how many are you taking into you home?"

People say "Drunk lazy people should get jobs!"
But how many do they hire?
None. Well, none on purpose anyway.
Because nobody wants to hire drunk lazy people.
It pretty reliably doesn't work out well.

#55 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 08:28 PM

SSDI "abuse" is a reflection of the fact that nobody wants to hire Eberly's lazy drunk relative.

Cutting SSDI won't make lazy drunk people get better.

It will just force their problems to become other people's problems.

#56 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 08:30 PM

Tell them I'm right, Eberly. Let's have a healing moment.

#57 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-10-08 08:31 PM

Ghettos are worse because the US allowed illegal immigrants into the country without mitigation.

#47 | Posted by oneironaut

People are poor due to a complex combination of structural, systemic, and personal factors, including low wages, lack of education and job opportunities, inadequate healthcare, unaffordable housing, and discrimination.

Broader societal issues like racial conflict, economic instability, poor governance, and climate change also trap individuals and communities in cycles of poverty by destroying livelihoods and limiting access to resources.

But you could care less about any of that right commie agitator? It's just them damn "illegals" stealing our jerbs!

#58 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-10-09 12:25 PM

Drudge Retort Headlines

How Trump Demolished the White House East Wing (58 comments)

ICE Agent Points Gun at Pregnant Woman During Arrest (55 comments)

U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela (39 comments)

Gavin Newsom Says He Will Consider White House Run After 2026 Elections (23 comments)