&gt; Eh, the increase in people on disability may suggest something else: We are better at keeping people alive in the face of things that previously would have killed them, but that doesn&#x27;t mean we are necessarily able to keep them able-bodied or restore full functioning.<p>That&#x27;s a possibility, but it doesn&#x27;t seem the most likely to me. The article only treats disability as significant for older people (55-64), but just by eyeballing the three charts, and considering the different scales, it seems to me that it&#x27;s just as significant across the board. I&#x27;d venture to guess that a lot of this is due to changes in eligibility decisions. I think there has been an increase in diagnoses of psychiatric disabilities in working-age people, for instance.<p>I don&#x27;t think you would receive dismissive criticism for your choices, btw. There <i>is</i> something to criticize about the idea of someone choosing not to look for a normal job while getting alimony, but it can be a rational choice on the person&#x27;s part. I think it&#x27;s the laws that should be criticized, not the individuals.