We realize it may be a stretch for ordinary people to want to keep up with the comings and goings of the Social Security Administration, but sometimes circumstances permit where someone does want to follow the latest news regarding the agency due to a possible retirement or disability interest. This blog is an ongoing piecemeal of recent stories that have involved Social Security. Some are tidbits and some are important things that should be known in the world of retirement or disability and others are just interesting stories and nothing more.
Miami ALJ Commits Suicide
After a police standoff, Heavy.com is reporting that Miami Social Security Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Timothy Maher shot and killed himself after barricading himself in his house with family members. A previous report from the Miami Herald reported that Maher was arrested for threatening the mother of his child with a rifle and threatened a co-worker at Social Security in days leading up to his suicide. The Social Security office where Maher worked was closed down after Maher made the threat, according to Heavy.com.
“The suspected threat is believed to have come from Timothy Maher [an Administrative Law Judge], who was arrested last week and accused of threatening his ex-girlfriend with a rifle at his home in El Portal. The threat was made Tuesday against one of his colleagues at the Social Security Administration office, 333 S. Miami Ave., where Maher normally works reviewing social-security disability claims.
The decision to close the office, according to sources, was made by Federal Protective Services, a branch of U.S. Homeland Security, which provides armed security for U.S. government buildings. FPS did not notify Miami or Miami-Dade police, which usually work in coordination with law enforcement from Homeland Security,” the Miami Herald story said.
New Compassionate Allowance Listings
Social Security has added five new medical conditions to its Compassionate Allowance list. According to Social Security, “Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children. The CAL initiative helps us reduce waiting time to reach a disability determination for individuals with the most serious disabilities. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children. The CAL initiative helps us reduce waiting time to reach a disability determination for individuals with the most serious disabilities.”
The list of new medical conditions includes:
- Fibrolammellar Cancer
- Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome
- Megalencephaly-Capillary Malformation Syndrome
- Superficial Siderosis of the Central Nervous System
- Tetrasomy
Supreme Court To Hear Social Security Fee Case
The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in Culbertson v. Berryhill for Nov. 7. According to the official Supreme Court Blog, this case is about whether Social Security’s 25 percent cap related to the representation of individuals claiming Social Security benefits include only fees for representation in court, or also fees for representation before the agency. The U.S. Court of Appeals in several circuits have offered contrary opinions.
