With long-term disability and jobless: 6 out of 10 in Wisconsin

A report issued by an advocacy group showed that about 124,000 working age men and women with disabilities in Wisconsin were employed in 2011. The report also showed that 210,000 men and women with disabilities were also jobless during that same time. That works out to six out of 10 working age individuals with a long-term disability having been unemployed in America’s Dairyland State in 2011.

One disabled individual who is presently unemployed is concerned for his future. The 32-year-old Marathon County man is in need of a part-time position that will meet the needs of his disability. If he doesn’t find employment soon or be approved to receive disability benefits, he will be facing eviction and forced to live in a homeless shelter.

Last April, the disabled man applied for assistance at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, an organization that helps disabled Wisconsinites to find employment. He has been on a waiting list for three months now and was told he still has another two or three months to wait. He said he worries everyday about having to live at a homeless shelter.

The Wisconsin man, who became disabled in 2010 when he fell on some stairs, is hoping something will come through for him before it is too late. Unfortunately, his disability only allows him to work nine hours a week and with special accommodations — circumstances which make it particularly tough for him to find a job. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits can help American citizens who are either fully or partially affected by a long-term disability to pay for their food and housing costs, but applying for and successfully obtaining these benefits can present a rather daunting challenge for many of the people who need them the most. It is often in the best interests of a fully or partially disabled individual to seek assistance from those who are both knowledgeable and experienced in the many stringent application requirements that must be met when applying for benefits.

Source: thedailypage.com, “Wisconsin passes up federal disabilities aid for jobless, despite backlogs,” Tegan Wendland, July 15, 2013

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