A 2-year-old may be many things, but disingenuous is generally not one of them. Aside from not really understanding the concept, they are typically the opposite, saying aloud what many people may think, but would never utter. So, with all the allegations of fraud within government disability programs like Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental security income (SSI), one would not suspect that a 2-year-old would present a questionable case for benefits.

In Philadelphia, a 2-year-old girl suffered damage to the nerves of her arm during birth. A condition known as Klumpke’s palsy, it results from an injury to the shoulder of a child, often by being wrenched during birth. It causes paralysis in the arm and is usually permanent.

She is an otherwise a happy, active child, but she is beginning to become frustrated with her disability. She should seemingly qualify for a disability program like SSI, as her parents earn less than the federal poverty guidelines for a family of three, in spite of her mother working two jobs as a health care aid.

Their application for SSI has been denied three times and they are now appealing the decision to a federal court. While reports often surface regarding fraud and abuse with disability programs like SSI, a professor of disability policy from Brandeis University noted that “SSI rules are byzantine and too strict,” and that families that should be able to obtain benefits from SSI are denied.

It is always unfortunate when people with genuine disabilities and needs are denied benefits because the system has been made so complex by efforts to prevent fraud.