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.
Social Security Employee Accused Of Stealing More Than $700,000
A North Carolina Social Security employee has been indicted on counts of wire fraud, aggravated theft and theft of government property for allegedly stealing more than $700,000 from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries between 2010 and April of 2018.
Stephanie Chavis, 42, is facing up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all counts. According to a press release, Chavis “engaged in a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration by using her supervisory position to divert more than $700,000 in funds meant for SSI beneficiaries into bank accounts controlled by Chavis. The indictment further alleges that Chavis advanced this scheme by convincing unsuspecting employees to manually process unauthorized payments on SSI beneficiary accounts using the beneficiaries’ personal identifying information and Chavis’ bank account information.”
Technical Denials On The Rise
Social Security recently published annual statistics on its Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and results show an alarming number of technical denials in 2016 and 2015. Technical denials are applications that were filed and denied for nonmedical reasons before a medical decision is made determining whether someone is disabled or not. Technical denials are not typically pursued any further because an applicant has not worked long enough or more recent enough or they continue to work and make too much money. In 2016, there were more than 861,000 applications denied for technical reasons and that number appears to be growing.
Medicare Open Enrollment
The open enrollment period for Medicare runs through December 7, 2018. This is the annual period when people can sign-up for new Medicare health and drug plans. To be eligible for Medicare you must be 65 or older, but people who have been found disabled by Social Security, and who qualify for SSDI benefits, are also eligible for Medicare. To learn more about your Medicare options visit www.medicare.gov.
Why The 10-Year Marriage Mark Is Important For Social Security
Even though you may be divorced from a former spouse, you may still be eligible for Social Security benefits on their earnings. If you and your ex-spouse were married for at least 10 years, you may be eligible to claim a form of spousal benefit on his or her earnings records. To learn more click here to determine:
- Eligibility requirements for divorced-spouse benefits;
- How much spousal benefits you may collect if you are divorced;
- Drawing survivor benefits if your former spouse is deceased; and
- How marrying again affects your benefit options.
