Man who crashed into SSA office awarded disability benefits and may lose them

We all want to be responsible for our own livelihoods, but life can become difficult when a disability prevents someone from achieving that goal. What can be even more stressful is a long and drawn out Social Security Disability Income application process. Sometimes, folks who go through the application process for disability benefits are rejected and that can make a terrible situation feel even worse. One man’s episode of frustration may now threaten his disability benefits.

Over frustration of having been denied Social Security Disability benefits for years, a man from Michigan crashed his van into a local Social Security Disability office in July. At the time of the incident, the man said he rammed his van into the building out of a “fit or rage” caused by being “screwed over by the government.” The man’s act may now threaten the disability benefits he has recently been awarded.

The man was recently awarded Social Security Disability benefits and will receive around $1,000 per month. However, the man’s criminal act of running his van into the local Social Security Administration office may threaten the newfound benefits. For his act, the man is facing criminal charges of malicious destruction of property, and the charge carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison says the county prosecutor in charge of the case.

Generally, disability benefit payments are suspended when someone is sentenced to jail or prison. In addition, the award of disability benefits does not have an influence on the criminal case. Instead of acting out, a better strategy would have probably been to contact a Social Security Disability attorney who could have reviewed the man’s case.

Source: chron.com, “Man who crashed into federal office gets benefits,” Aug. 31, 2011

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