National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives Launches Campaign To Defend Social Security Disability Insurance From Misleading Attacks

– New Website Launches on the 56th Anniversary of the Social Security Act Disability Amendment –

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifty-six years ago, the United States government made a commitment to provide every working American with monetary assistance if a disabling accident or health issue rendered them unable to work. The Social Security Act Amendment took effect on August 1, 1956, and with it, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits program was born.

Today, the SSDI program is coming under attack and being targeted for budget cuts due to recent erroneous media coverage and unfounded political attacks. The program has been touted as "modern-day slavery" by a Florida Congressman, while right-wing pundits claim "it's a con" and "easy to put in a bogus disability claim."

This week, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) is launching a campaign to fight back against misleading allegations being made about the SSDI program and its Claimants'. 

As a kickoff to the educational campaign efforts, NOSSCR's President and Vice President co-authored an op-ed in The Hill newspaper, in which they presented facts to dispute all the misinformation that has been recently reported. NOSSCR is also launching a redesigned website on Wednesday, August 1 – www.nosscr.org. The enhanced website will serve as the ultimate SSDI information resource, bringing expert voices of both Claimants' who receive SSDI benefits and advocates who support the SSDI program into the conversation. Visitors to the website will also find both advocacy and educational information about SSDI issues, facts regarding the SSDI program and the latest SSDI news stories.

Additionally, NOSSCR will continue to publish member opinion pieces, pushback on fallacious media reports and keep the voice of the disabled community front and center in this debate over SSDI benefits.

 "It is important to remember that hard-working Americans have earned these disability benefits," said Charles Martin, President of NOSSCR. "The rise in number of SSDI Claimants' has been expected for years as we witnessed more women entering the workforce and we watched the Baby-Boomer generation age. Now more than ever, we must honor the commitment that was made to the disabled community to help them when hardship strikes."

SSDI benefits are often the only thing preventing disabled American workers from falling into abject poverty. As the NOSSCR officers wrote in their op-ed, many of their clients have lost their homes during the lengthy and complex application process. SSDI benefits play a critical role in preventing significant societal costs that can result when persons are improperly denied benefits such as home foreclosures and evictions, homelessness, family dissolutions or bankruptcies. NOSSCR understands that delaying benefits to disabled individuals leads to further human suffering and places additional strains on Medicaid or state and federal assistance programs. 

"No one expects to become disabled," added Debra Shifrin, NOSSCR's current Vice President. "SSDI benefits are essential for many who, without them, would end up on the street.  We must continue to honor the commitment to the hard-working Americans who have earned these disability benefits."

For more information about NOSSCR, who NOSSCR helps and the Social Security Disability Benefits program, check out NOSSCR's new website: www.nosscr.org

About NOSSCR:

Established in 1979, NOSSCR is a professional association of over 4,000 attorneys and other advocates who help individuals with disabilities obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. NOSSCR members are committed to providing high-quality representation for SSDI Claimants', to maintaining a system of full and fair review for every claimant and beneficiary and to advocating for improvements in the disability determination and adjudication process.

SOURCE National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR)