The unemployment rate for workers with disabilities rose to 13.7 percent from 12.9 percent during the third quarter, according to a recent study by Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.
As those without disabilities saw a 7.9 percent unemployment rate, workers with disabilities face an unemployment rate 73 percent higher.
The study also finds that 726,026 people with disabilities applied for Social Security Disability Insurance during the third quarter of 2012 for a slight decline from 731,817 in the second quarter. Based on these figures, the third-quarter number is less than 2 percent lower from third-quarter 2011 when 737,468 applications were filed.
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At this point of the year, approximately 2.2 million people who cannot work because of disabilities applied for SSDI while roughly 1.8 million SSDI claims are pending. On average, the cumulative wait time is sitting at more than 800 days, the study finds.
Considering the wait time, qualified candidates should apply for SSDI should apply when possible in order to minimize the financial impact of a long-term disability, and delaying the application can be financially devastating for many families, says Tricia Blazier, personal financial planning manager of Allsup.
"If you've experienced a work-stopping disability, now is the time to start planning financially," Blazier says. "Social Security disability benefits tend to be significantly lower than work income, but they are an important step in helping families ease the hardship faced when a breadwinner is no longer able to work due to a disability."
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