Scanlon Introduces Bill to Push Back on Trump’s Latest Changes to Social Security

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) introduced the Language Equity in Social Security Act to push back on the Trump Administration’s latest effort to strip Social Security benefits from people with disabilities.

The Trump Administration announced in February 2020 that it would no longer consider “Inability to Communicate in English” as an adverse educational factor when determining whether or not a person with disabilities is eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Under previous guidelines, when a person has a disability that limits their ability to work, and has no or little past relevant work experience, the inability to communicate in English was considered an additional major barrier to employment.

The Language Equity in Social Security Act amends the statute to require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to consider an individual’s linguistic limitations, including an inability to speak English, in determining eligibility for SSI and SSDI.

“This proposed rule change by the Trump Administration is yet another attempt to strip benefits from our communities who need them most,” Congresswoman Scanlon said. “Denying Social Security and SSI disability benefits to older, severely disabled workers, who are not native English speakers, would cause significant harm — jeopardizing the economic security of countless people who rely on these benefits. My bill pushes back on this uninformed and misguided rule change to ensure that people with disabilities receive the benefits they are due.”

A copy of this legislation can be found here.

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