Reform sought for disability payment system

WWLP TV

Updated: Oct 15, 2012 8:10 PM

BOSTON (WWLP) — Advocates across the public sector are asking lawmakers to change what they view are longstanding inefficiencies in the disability payment system.

A special commission on disability reform conducted their first hearing at the State House on Monday. Retiree advocates are asking lawmakers to ease wage restrictions on disabled retirees who return to work part-time. They also want to put a 20-year limit on how many years disabled retirees have to be examined take to prove their disability.

Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) told 22News that they aren’t trying to go after anyone, but they just want to make the system better.

“Some people have assumed this is a witch hunt, or we’re trying to basically clamp down on things, and it really is not, that was not our focus. Our focus is to find out what’s working, what improvements, if necessary, need to be made,” Scibak said.

Advocates also asked lawmakers to protect firefighters who contract infectious diseases while on the job, but are unable to prove when or where it exactly happened.

The next hearing on disability reform is scheduled to be held at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester on Thursday at 1:00 P.M.

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