Why is disability so much harder to obtain than ever before?

• Originally envisioned as a small program…now it serves nearly 12 million people–its up 20 percent over the last six years–and has a budget of $135 billion.
• Senator subcommittees filled with attorneys seek out new legislation to lessen the financial burden, and place current disabled persons under a CDR.
• Close to three quarters of applicants are turned down initially and even after appeal, 60 percent of applicants are denied benefits.
• Demonstrating eligibility requires extensive objective medical evidence, and even those with terminal illnesses can take years, hence the creation of CALs.
• Baby Boomers, the recession, and women entering the workforce in large numbers in the 1970s and 1980s have lead to initial filing system overloads.