By 2005, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) fund was cashing checks its tax body couldn't money. Considering that almost half a million new Social Security recipients went on the dole last year, the impending problem is magnified. Within 7 years, experts see a bankrupt SSDI, writes the Wall Street Journal. Resource for this article - Social Security Disability Insurance may go dry in 4 years by MoneyBlogNewz. Losing $22 with Social Security By 2015, projections indicate that Social Security will spend $153 billion in benefits and other costs. There can be a $22 billion deficit from what is being taken in. Americans are going to have to deal with this issue. The Social Security retirement fund is anticipated to last until 2040 while Medicare is only anticipated to last until 2029. Federal intervention can be required to keep Social Security Disability Insurance alive for more than 7 years, say government auditors. Social Security: Drowning in applicants The recession sent a huge wave of new applicants into the Social Security program. The number of people on Social Security changed from 6.6 million to 10.2 million in just the last 10 years. There are a lot of U.S. and territories that use SSDI funds. They are needed by many. In the last 10 years, there has been an 85 percent increase in Texas enrollment while, at the same time, New Hampshire has had a 69 percent growth. West Virginia gets more SSDI than any other state when considering the percentage of total population. There are difficulties that agriculture and manufacturing states are facing. Manual labor health issues have been increasing. In the last few years, military bases and factories have been closing in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. That means more individuals are relying on Social Security there. The highest joblessness is usually reported in these states also. In the case of Puerto Rico, political corruption is also an issue. SSDI what a doctor decides Unlike age-based programs like Medicare and Social Security retirement benefits, SSDI is closely tied to medical opinion. As somebody else pays the bills, local medical officials do not have the immediate incentive to keep enrollment numbers down. Government benefits are given with SSDI benefits although they're around $1,064 a month on average in 2009. Working class individuals end up picking up the tab. About $300,000 per person in these benefits with the additional programs are paid out to regular SSDI patients, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s SSDI expert David Autor. Possibility of higher taxes Increasing the Social Security fund would be the only way to save SSDI without increasing taxes. This would drain away retirement funds, forcing retirees to swallow benefit cuts quicker than they would have otherwise. However, as Nancy Altman of the activist group Social Security Works contends, something must be done. "This is a program of crucial importance to every working American and his or her family," she said. Citations Social Security Online ssa.gov/disability/ Wall Street Journal online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178570674769318.html Milton Friedman on Social Security: Save your money youtube.com/watch?v=rCdgv7n9xCY