The 2022 Social Security Trustees report projected a surplus for the disability insurance trust fund; however, there is reason to believe that Social Security disability claims will increase rather than decrease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many people’s mental health. There was a 27.6% increase in cases of major depressive disorder and a 25.6% increase in anxiety disorders in 2020, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, workers are leaving the workforce due to mental health conditions, and anxiety and depression are both covered by Social Security disability. 

In this recent ThinkAdvisor article, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, takes a closer look at the most recent assumptions for the disability trust fund and how mental health could impact the future of the program. 

"At the beginning of the trustees reports for the last couple of years, there has been a disclaimer that mentions that we still don’t know the full impact of the pandemic. An increase in disability claims is a pandemic impact that financial advisors should consider."

Read the ThinkAdvisor article in its entirety.