Jay Dickey: “Today legislation has been introduced to eliminate fraud in the child disability portion of the supplemental security…”

“Today legislation has been introduced to eliminate fraud in the child disability portion of the supplemental security income program. A 1990 Supreme Court decision so broadened the definition of disability as it relates to SSI that it is easy for children who merely act disabled to receive SSI payments. In my home State of Arkansas, many allegations have arisen that some parents encourage their otherwise healthy children to act mentally disabled in classroom settings to qualify for these SSI cash payments. Straight cash payments are a strong incentive to coach a child to act disabled. Benefits average $400 per month per child, and parents are not required to use the money to cover the medical costs of the child. Think what this is doing for the child and the children, and you can readily see part of what lasting harm this is inflicting. This bill, if adopted, would replace cash benefits with medical vouchers for children under 18 who qualify for SSI which parents can use to cover the costs of medical and therapeutic aid for their child, allow children to continue receiving the care they need, but discourage parents from taking advantage of the system.”