COUNTDOWN

Disability Benefits to Go Dry Next Year

Unless Congress acts.

If Congress doesn’t act soon, Social Security disability benefits will run dry in 2016, according to trustees of the program. Eleven million people currently receive disability benefits, which average $1,017 a month. If the money runs out, an automatic 19 percent cut in benefits will kick in. President Obama has supported shifting tax revenue from Social Security’s retirement fund to its disability fund, but Republicans say they want changes made to encourage disabled workers to go back to work. Trustees said that with retirement and disability funds combined, the program would have enough money to pay full benefits until 2034.