Nancy Kassebaum: “I am pleased to cosponsor legislation aimed at reforming the Social Security disability payment system for disabled…”

“I am pleased to cosponsor legislation aimed at reforming the Social Security disability payment system for disabled substance abusers. This initiative, introduced by Senator Cohen, addresses the problem of recipients using their disability payments to finance their addictions and, in the process, to worsen their disability. I support all provisions of the bill, especially important provisions expanding to Social Security disability income [SSDI] the current supplemental security income [SSI] mandatory treatment and representative payee requirements. To improve accountability for the proper use of disability funds, a representative payee would be a licensed agency or comparable facility. Representative payees would no longer be a friend or relative of the recipient, as such persons, in the past, have channeled payments directly to the recipient for purchase of drugs and alcohol. In addition, beneficiaries would no longer receive a lump-sum retroactive payment. Rather, this money would be placed in a managed trust to protect the individual from using it to acquire drugs or alcohol. Finally, the Social Security Administration would be required to expand the number of referral monitoring agencies so that each State is able to monitor the appropriate distribution of disability funds and the recipient's compliance with treatment.”