Federal support for disabled people must be fair

We hear from politicians of all stripes about how much they love and support families. But their words are belied by their lack of action to reform Supplemental Security Income, a Social Security-related program for people with disabilities. Current policy punishes people who want to work and, even worse, undermines marriage and families.

To qualify for SSI, a person must demonstrate that they have a disability, that their income is below SSI income levels ($1,971 per month for individuals), and that they have less than the SSI asset levels. The current asset limit to qualify for SSI is $2,000 per person, an absurdly low number set in 1989.

Here’s where the program becomes anti-marriage and anti-family: You would expect the SSI asset level for a married couple to be double that of a single person. You would be wrong; the SSI asset level for a married couple is $3,000. That’s right, the combined asset level goes down for a married couple. Congress somehow found a way to make 2 + 2 = 3.

Why does the asset limit matter? Many people with a disability want to work. I know because at the business I lead, John’s Crazy Socks, more than half our colleagues have a differing ability. If they earn too much or save too much, they lose their benefits, including their medical coverage via Medicaid/Medicare. Many would like to work more, but they cannot afford to lose their benefits.

It is terrible to have a policy that discourages people from working. It also is bad public policy. We have a growing labor shortage and need every good worker we can find, yet here we have a government policy that discourages work.

Then there are couples who want to get married. That’s a good thing. Again, politicians from all parties support marriage. Yet SSI will punish that couple if they do get married. Unable to marry, that couple misses benefits and rights afforded to married couples. Does that seem right? Which elected officials say they are anti-marriage?

Current Supplemental Security Income policy is anti-marriage, anti-family and, dare I say, anti-love. We cannot let it stand, for the sake of the 33,112 SSI recipients on Long Island as of December 2022, the latest data available.

Fortunately, there is a solution in sight.

The bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, which has been introduced in both the Senate and the House, would raise SSI levels to a fair amount. Supporting this bill is not a Democratic or Republican issue; it is a basic human right.

This bill would:

• Raise the SSI asset level to $10,000 per person, the first increase in 35 years.
• Raise the SSI asset level for a married couple to $20,000.
• Tie future increases to the rate of inflation.

This bill would treat fairly people with a disability, some of our most vulnerable citizens. It would encourage work. Employers would like it because it would increase the labor pool.

It would encourage marriage. It would be pro-family. It makes too much sense not to support this change.

I will be going to Capitol Hill this week as part of the CEO Commission for Disability Employment, which advocates for disability-inclusive employment, to meet with members of Congress on this issue. I hope Long Island's congressional representatives will support this legislation. It's a matter of fairness to all of our disabled people who want to work.

This guest essay reflects the views of Mark X. Cronin, co-founder with his son John of John's Crazy Socks, based in Farmingdale.