Republicans often use stories like the Post’s to argue that the disability rolls have grown due to abuse from people who can work but simply do not want to. For example, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) complained in January 2015 that people were “gaming the system” to receive disability benefits. In fact, the Social Security Administration’s inspector general has estimated that the Social Security Disability Insurance program has a fraud rate below 1 percent.
“They are perpetuating the same myths that have been debunked over and over again without regard for how misleading reporting can affect people with disabilities already living on the financial edge,” said Rebecca Vallas, managing director of the Center for American Progress’ Poverty to Prosperity program.
The Post issued a correction about a narrow aspect of the story on Monday, downsizing its count of “highest participation” counties, but it did not revise its estimate of the prevalence of disability benefits in rural areas. It also did not respond to multiple requests to clarify outstanding questions about ways in which its framing of disability programs lacks context about the factors truly driving growth in the program, raising the possibility of political attacks on benefits and their recipients.