The President has notified the Congress of a new Social Security agreement between the United States and Switzerland. This replaces an agreement between the two countries signed in 1988. Agreements such as these generally provide for administrative cooperation between the two countries and totalization of wage credits for situations where a person can qualify for benefits only by combining
Sunday, 15 December 2013
New Social Security Agreement With Switzerland
Posted on 07:51 by Unknown
The President has notified the Congress of a new Social Security agreement between the United States and Switzerland. This replaces an agreement between the two countries signed in 1988. Agreements such as these generally provide for administrative cooperation between the two countries and totalization of wage credits for situations where a person can qualify for benefits only by combining
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Services To Be Curtailed
Posted on 08:33 by Unknown
From the Southtown Star:
In a move that one congressional staff member
calls “absolutely devastating” to senior citizens and the poor, the
Social Security Administration is planning to eliminate some walk-in
office services.
In a letter sent to employee union officials
this month, the SSA announced that as of April 1, it will no longer
provide benefit verification letters to
In a move that one congressional staff member
calls “absolutely devastating” to senior citizens and the poor, the
Social Security Administration is planning to eliminate some walk-in
office services.
In a letter sent to employee union officials
this month, the SSA announced that as of April 1, it will no longer
provide benefit verification letters to
Off Topic: Something You Don't See Every Day
Posted on 08:33 by Unknown
Yes, It Really Did Snow In Egypt -- For The First Time In 112 Years
Friday, 13 December 2013
We Don't Need Social Security One Bit -- People Can Just Plan Their Own Retirements
Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
From the summary of a study on financial advisors:
46% of financial advisers do not have a retirement plan for themselves, yet 40% are planning to retire within the next 14 years.
46% of financial advisers do not have a retirement plan for themselves, yet 40% are planning to retire within the next 14 years.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Congressional Hearing Postponed
Posted on 05:57 by Unknown
The hearing that had been scheduled for yesterdays before the House Social Security Subcommittee on identity theft and improper payments was postponed at the last minute. No new date has been announced.
Senate Finance Committee Hearing
Posted on 05:57 by Unknown
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on December 18 on The Role of Social Security, Defined Benefits, and Private Retirement Accounts in the Face of the Retirement Crisis.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Social Security Security Guard Suffers Broken Arm As Result Of Alleged Assault
Posted on 10:22 by Unknown
From KOMO in Silverdale, Washington:
A security guard at a Social Security office in Silverdale suffered a
broken arm in a struggle with a man who was kicked out for being
disruptive.
The 43-year-old guard told Kitsap County sheriff's deputies the man pushed him to the ground Monday in the parking lot.
Kitsap Sun reports
the 26-year-old Hoodsport man was charged Tuesday with felony
A security guard at a Social Security office in Silverdale suffered a
broken arm in a struggle with a man who was kicked out for being
disruptive.
The 43-year-old guard told Kitsap County sheriff's deputies the man pushed him to the ground Monday in the parking lot.
Kitsap Sun reports
the 26-year-old Hoodsport man was charged Tuesday with felony
Despite Budget Deal We're Not Out Of The Woods Yet
Posted on 06:45 by Unknown
The budget deal that you heard about yesterday isn't exactly what you might think it is. The process is supposed to work like this. First a budget is passed. The budget merely sets top line numbers for the total amount to be spent and for each separate appropriations bill. It's the actual appropriations bills that give agencies money to spend. Budget summaries often say how much individual
The Death Master File Again
Posted on 06:43 by Unknown
Even though budget bill announced yesterday is supposed to deal just with
top line numbers, budget bills often contain extraneous items. The agreement
announced yesterday contains an extraneous item affecting Social Security. From the press release on the budget deal:
Restriction on access to the Death Master File
This
provision creates a program under which the Secretary of
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Central Offices Closed By Snow
Posted on 06:47 by Unknown
All federal offices in the Washington, DC area, including the Social Security Administration's Central Offices, are closed today due to snow.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Central Offices Opening Two Hours Late Today
Posted on 05:44 by Unknown
Because of weather conditions, Social Security's central offices are opening two hours late today.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Slowdown In Processing Claimants Onto Benefits
Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
Social Security has issued updated numbers on payments of fees
to attorneys and some others for representing Social Security
claimants. These fees are withheld and paid by Social Security but come
out of the back benefits of the claimants involved. The attorneys and
others who have their fees withheld pay a user fee for this privilege. Since these fees are usually
paid at the same time
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Bad Social Security Reporting
Posted on 07:05 by Unknown
Trudy Lieberman writes for the Columbia Journalism Review on the bad reporting on Social Security issues.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Third Way Is A Fraud
Posted on 06:20 by Unknown
Michael Hiltzik at the Los Angeles Times has a fine article on Senator Warren's response to a misleading Third Way op ed in the Wall Street Journal.
The right wing lies about Social Security are out of hand and it mostly starts with bogus front groups like "Third Way" which poses as a centrist organization but which is nothing of the sort. Its board is thoroughly dominated by Wall
I Agree With Cato On This One
Posted on 05:58 by Unknown
From a press release issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) division of the Department of Homeland Security:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas today announced an enhancement to the E-Verify
program that will help combat identity fraud by identifying and
deterring fraudulent use of Social Security numbers (SSNs) for
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Obama Speaks On Disability Programs
Posted on 12:18 by Unknown
From remarks made by President Obama yesterday:
[W]e should be willing to look at fresh ideas to revamp unemployment and
disability programs to encourage faster and higher rates of
re-employment without cutting benefits. We shouldn't weaken fundamental
protections built over generations, because given the constant churn in
today’s economy and the disabilities that many of our friends
[W]e should be willing to look at fresh ideas to revamp unemployment and
disability programs to encourage faster and higher rates of
re-employment without cutting benefits. We shouldn't weaken fundamental
protections built over generations, because given the constant churn in
today’s economy and the disabilities that many of our friends
Congressional Hearing On Improper Payments And Identity Theft
Posted on 06:08 by Unknown
The Social Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a hearing for 1:00 on December 11 on Improper Payments and Identity Theft. The hearing is supposed to focus on the Internal Revenue Service, rather than Social Security.
Is This New?
Posted on 06:00 by Unknown
Is this new? Does it do you any good if you've filed a disability claim?
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Unemployment Benefits And Social Security Disability
Posted on 10:34 by Unknown
Wonkblog at the Washington Post decided to look into the question of whether people who are about to lose their unemployment insurance benefits will go on Social Security disability benefits and finds plentiful evidence that that hasn't happened in the past. The article, unfortunately, goes on to discuss the theory that because job openings aren't as plentiful now as they used to be that
Getting Worse By The Month
Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
Some statistics from Social Security's Caseload Analysis Report and National Ranking Report, courtesy of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR):
Average hearing office processing time:
FY 2012: 353 days
FY 2013: 382 days
Cases pending hearing office disposition over 270 days:
FY 2012: 271,557
FY 2013: 288,622
Cases pending hearing office
Hearing Office Attorney Advisor Ability To Issue Favorable Decisions Diminished
Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
From a Bulletin issued by Social Security's Chief Administrative Law Judge:
In November 2013 we began a pilot: the
National Screening Unit (NSU). The NSU Core Team will review and select
cases eligible for the program and will distribute those cases to
hearing office (HO) management for assignment to AAs.
AAs [Attorney Advisors] may review and sign fully favorable
decisions only
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Hiltzik Reports On The Demographic Factors Affecting Social Security Disability
Posted on 07:02 by Unknown
Michael Hiltzik at the Los Angeles Times reports on the recent study by two Social Security economists showing that the 94% of the recent growth in the number of Social Security disability claims can be attributed to demographic factors. I had posted about this study on November 20.
A New Right Wing Group Attacks Social Security Disability
Posted on 06:20 by Unknown
There's a Social Security disability hit piece in today's issue of The Hill, written by MacMillin Slobodien, the executive director of Our Generation which has recently launched Reform SSDI Now. This is almost certainly a Koch Brothers front organization.
Congressional Leaders Reported To Be Close To Budget Deal
Posted on 05:57 by Unknown
Politico reports that Congressional leaders are close to a budget deal that would avoid another shutdown. The deal would include additional revenue from fee increases and would replace about $80 billion in sequester cuts over the next two years. Changes in federal retirement benefits may be part of the deal. The reductions in the sequester cuts would be evenly divided between defense and
Does This Look Like The Social Security Disability Program Is Out Of Control?
Posted on 03:00 by Unknown
Final Outcome Of Disability Claims
Monday, 2 December 2013
Former Social Security Employee Sentenced
Posted on 11:49 by Unknown
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A former Social Security Administration employee, who charged a fee
to elderly and disabled people seeking income assistance to speed their
claims, was sent to prison Monday.
Cordell Fleming, a former
claims representative in Morrow, was sentenced to one day and one year
in prison, after pleading guilty to extortion in August. The sentence
also
A former Social Security Administration employee, who charged a fee
to elderly and disabled people seeking income assistance to speed their
claims, was sent to prison Monday.
Cordell Fleming, a former
claims representative in Morrow, was sentenced to one day and one year
in prison, after pleading guilty to extortion in August. The sentence
also
Soaring Number Of People Approved For Disability Benefits?
Posted on 05:41 by Unknown
Below are the total number of persons newly approved for Disability Insurance Benefits by the Social Security Administration over the last three years. The meme being promoted on the right is that the number of people going to Social Security disability is soaring and the program is completely out of control. That meme lacks a basis in reality.
2010
1,026,988
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Why Have ALJ Reversal Rates Gone Down?
Posted on 07:43 by Unknown
The Scranton, PA Times-Tribune looks into why Social Security's Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are approving a lower percentage of the disability claims they hear than they used to. The bottom line is that there are many theories but no one, including the Social Security Administration, knows why this has happened.
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