It’s free, it’s confidential, it’s doesn’t obligate you to anything…and it’s free. This morning I had the pleasure of talking with a young man and his wife about his work injury. We will call him Jaime. He was injured in...
Social Security Blog
Social Security Benefits To Go (Mostly) Paperless On March 1st
As we previously noted, The US Treasury Department will require Social Security benefit checks to be either direct deposited to a bank account or to a debit card as of March 1, 2013. If you are currently receiving some type of Social...
Social Security Will Reveal The Name of the Judge in Disability Hearings with a FOIA Request
Since December 2011 Social Security began withholding the name of the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who would hear a claimant’s Social Security disability case from the claimant and their representative. The policy was immediately challenged by claimant representatives. The National...
New Study Shows Americans Like Social Security and are Willing To Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is
A recent study for the National Academy of Social Insurance found a majority of “Americans don’t mind paying for Social Security because they value it for themselves (80%), for their families (78%), and for the security and stability it provides to million...
Pilot Program Helps Social Security’s Representative Payees & Beneficiaries
A pilot program began last summer in the Philadelphia region to check the backgrounds of individuals who want to be the representative payee for another’s Social Security benefits has lead to the rejection of 100 people from becoming a representative...
Applications For Social Security Disability Benefits Are On The Decline
In 2012 2.82 million Americans applied for Social Security Disability benefits a 4% decrease from 2011 according to Social Security’s Office of the Chief Actuary. SSA approved about 980,000 claims, the lowest number since at least 1998. This decrease in the number...
Social Security Disability Benefits and Work — Some Things To Consider
A very common question people have is: Can I draw Social Security disability benefits and still work? The answer is yes, within certain limits. If you work full time and/or make $1040 gross per month in 2013 then regardless of...
SSA Employee No Longer In Trouble for “Excessive Workplace Flatulence”
Last month a Social Security employee was reprimanded formally for releasing an “awful and unpleasant odor” at work. Included in the formal reprimand was a log of at least 60 “incidents.” The reprimand letter stated that the employee’s flatulence created...
SSA Adds 35 New Conditions to their Compassionate Allowances
Social Security announced on December 6, 2012 the agency has added 35 new conditions to its list of Compassionate Allowances. Compassionate Allowance are medical conditions and diseases which are very serious. Once Social Security identifies the claim as a Compassionate...
US Department of Education To Forgive Student Loans for Certain Social Security Disability Beneficiaries
New regulations from the US Department of Education will make it easier for some Social Security Disability recipients to get their federal student loans forgiven. As of July 1, 2013, when the new rules are in place, a borrower can...