BREAKING:. The Senate is poised to include an offset to Social Security Disabilty Insurance (SSDI) benefits for people who also receive unemployment insurance as a way to pay for an extension of UI benefits. This would be devastating to individuals and families who rely on these two sources of income to be able to afford basic necessities. The offset would reduce SSDI by either dollar to dollar of the UI benefit or by a percentage. This in essence is cutting Social Security to pay for Unemployment and a cynical attempt by Senate Republicans to keep tearing away the social safety net that is so vital for millions of Amercians.
This is also an unpresidented attack on the rights of people with disabilities and the belief that having a disability does not have to equal living in poverty. Senator Harkin's staff is looking for a story ASAP of an example of an individual who received SSDI, decided to try to go back to work, worked enough to become eligible for UI and was then laid off. They want to be able to document how an individual would be negatively impacted by this change to use to try to help prevent this from happening.
If this sounds like your situation please contact Senator Harkin's office at 202-224-3254.