SEEK TREATMENT, NOT SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

One of the grossest abuses of the Social Security benefits in recent years has been disability payments -- through Social Security Disability Income or Supplemental Security Incomes benefits -- to individuals whose inability to work was due to alcohol or drug abuse.

Those payments ended Jan. 1. The discontinuation of benefits wasn't intended as a cost-saving effort. Rather, the emphasis was put on treatment for recipients who said they couldn't work because of alcoholism or drug abuse. Workers who complete treatment programs and are still unable to work for other reasons can reapply for Social Security benefits.

The change in how these benefits are administered was long overdue. There will be a period of adjustment, of course. But, in short order, it will be known which SSDI and SSI recipients were using the federal programs to get checks -- often spent on booze or drugs -- instead of getting the kind of help that would put them back to work.