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Show Rehabilitation of Disabled Workers Tripled With Social Security Help Tin; number of severely disabled people who are rehabilitated re-habilitated and return to work every year has almost tripled tripl-ed since social security began paying for some of the cost, according to John Wain-wright, Wain-wright, social security district dis-trict manager in Grand Junction, Jun-ction, Colorado. In fiscal 19GG, before social security began to help fund rehabilitation, 0,717 severely disabled workers were rehabilitated re-habilitated with regular State-Federal vocational rehabilitation re-habilitation funds. "Since that year," Wain w right said, "social security has helped pay the cost in selected cases and the number of rehabilitated rehabil-itated workers has steadilv increased to 19,029 in 1971". Eligible workers can get monthly disability payments from social security if they are severely disabled and it looks like they won't be able to work for a year or more. Selected workers receive training and other rehabilitation rehabili-tation services from State and local agencies. If they are able to return to work, social soc-ial security payments end after a trial work period. Through fiscal 1971, social security spent $89 million to rehabilitate 35,000 disabled dis-abled workers, Wainwright said. "But for every $1 spent for rehabilitation," he said, "social security has 'saved' $1.60 in benefits that would have been paid if the disabled dis-abled workers had not been rehabilitated." Rehabilitated workers also resume paying social security secur-ity contributions on any earnings earn-ings covered by social security sec-urity alter they return to work Wainwright noted. Social security pays over $3 billion a year in disability benefits to 3 million people 1 12 million disabled workers work-ers and 1 12 million members mem-bers of their families. For further information about this or other social security matters, contact Mr. Herman Frame, social security sec-urity representative, who will be in Moab at the Employment Employ-ment Office on November 14, 1972 between 1 p. m. and 5 p. m. |