With so much talk of cost cutting and budget savings, the Social Security Administration is still regularly working to improve services within its means.  In the most recent “Annual Performance Plan” (found here: http://www.ssa.gov/budget/2013APP.pdf), the SSA described numerous areas identified for improvement, one of which is simple and straightforward: improving the clarity of notices. According… Continue Reading Social Security Administration to Improve the Clarity and Readability of Notices

A recent article (found here: http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/03/14/could-employers-help-cut-ssdi-claims) discussed some of the various Social Security Disability Insurance cost-cutting measures currently being proposed and discussed. According to Stephen Goss, chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund is expected to no longer be adequate by 2016.  At that point, without any changes, the program will… Continue Reading Employer Contribution to Social Security Disability Insurance Debated

Social Security Administration Studies Self-Employment Among Disability Insurance Recipients Last month, the Social Security Administration (in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General) performed a study of 50 SSDI beneficiaries, looking for evidence of hidden self-employment income. When an individual is self-employed, he or she must still annually report income to the IRS.  The… Continue Reading Social Security Administration Studies Self-Employment Among Disability Insurance Recipients

In 1999, Peggy Young began working for UPS, and in 2002, she started driving a delivery truck.  By 2006, Ms. Young was an “air driver” in Maryland, a position which required her to pick up and deliver packages that had arrived by air carrier the night before. That same year, though, Ms. Young became pregnant. … Continue Reading Pregnant UPS Worker Not Protected by ADA When Employer Prevented Her from Working with Physician-Mandated Lifting Restrictions

New Survey Shows Strong Support for Social Security and Social Security Disability Unlike what media analysts and politicians often suggest, a large majority of Americans prefer to increase Social Security taxes to preserve benefits for the elderly and disabled—rather than find necessary future funding for the program through cutbacks in benefits.  In a recent survey… Continue Reading New Survey Shows Strong Support for Social Security and Social Security Disability

Declining Social Security Administration Staff May Impact Disability Claims Processing A recent article (found here: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1136769) discussed changing employment figures within the Social Security Administration—and how those changing figures could affect disability claimants in general. As of December 2012, the SSA had 64,538 employees.  While this may sound like a large number, in December 2010,… Continue Reading Declining Social Security Administration Staff May Impact Disability Claims Processing

On March 22, a new “Social Security Ruling” (SSR 13-2p) will take affect, clarifying the Social Security Administration’s stance on the impact of drug addiction and alcoholism (DAA) to a determination of disability. Preliminarily, though ‘drug addiction’ and ‘alcoholism’ may not be terms of art in the medical/mental health communities, they continue to be used… Continue Reading New Social Security Administration Ruling Clarifies Stance on Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

The Social Security Administration periodically increases benefits under so-called “cost of living adjustments” (COLAs).  These are adjustments that account for both inflation and general increases in the costs of goods and services over time.  Many other government programs—including the salaries of the members of Congress themselves—receive COLAs. Currently, Social Security COLAs are calculated under one… Continue Reading Social Security Disability: Proposed Change to Cost of Living Increases May Negatively Affect Social Security Beneficiaries

A recent article on Social Security Disability highlighted an ever-significant trend in the program: benefits are getting harder and harder to get. The article begins by pointing out an irony: “If you listened to the foes of Social Security without checking the facts, you would probably think that SSD benefits are given to anyone who… Continue Reading Social Security Disability Benefits Are Increasingly Difficult to Receive

The days of mailed paper checks are officially over (even if there will be some stragglers). Unless you were born on or before May 1, 1921, you just lost that older way of receiving your social security benefits payments.  Though mailed checks won’t immediately stop coming for those still using them, March 1st was the… Continue Reading Treasury Department Ends Paper Checks for All Social Security Beneficiaries