Social Security recently released its plans for re-opening agency offices well after many other government agencies and private businesses have already re-opened to some degree. Since March 2020 Social Security offices have remained mostly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and since then in-office service at Social Security has been nearly impossible, but finally some… Read more »
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Senate Bill Includes About $1 Billion In Funding For Social Security
The Senate Appropriations Committee recently released its fiscal year 2022 appropriation bill that calls for close to $1 billion in funding for the Social Security Administration. The bill also includes recommendations for Social Security, including recommendations related to offering more in-person services at the agency. The Senate version of the bill asks for about the… Read more »
Severity Of Impairments Is Key To Disability Claim
When an application for Social Security disability benefits is submitted to the Social Security Administration for consideration, Social Security rules require the agency to follow a five-step sequential evaluation to determine if the claimant’s impairments are considered severe. The steps include looking at a claimant’s work earnings; determining whether an impairment meets a Social Security… Read more »
The Windfall Elimination Provision Explained
In 1983 Congress passed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). This legislation put a stop to workers collecting full Social Security retirement or disability benefits and a full pension from their job even though during that job they were not paying Social Security taxes. This was certainly an advantage for people who were allowed maximum benefits,… Read more »
As Weather Turns Colder Learn About Energy Assistance Options
We are more than half the way through October in 2021 and in many parts of the country the weather will be getting colder rapidly as we work our way into winter. Many households struggle during winter months with energy costs, but if you are struggling with energy costs or even struggling to pay your… Read more »
Consortium Group Lobbies For SSI Reform
The quest of lobbying members of Congress to include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) reform in the current infrastructure package that is being considered is a never-ending journey for disability advocates. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a Social Security task force, wrote a letter to the majority and minority leaders in Congress October 15,… Read more »
Report From OIG Shows Vocational Rehabilitation Not Very Effective
After it has been determined by the Social Security Administration that a claimant for Social Security disability benefits is disabled and unable to maintain gainful employment and benefits are awarded that is not necessarily the end of the claim. Social Security continues to work with vocational rehabilitation agencies in the country to try and get… Read more »
Continued Pressure On Social Security To Open Field Offices
The chatter related to calls for Social Security to open up field offices is getting louder and the agency seems to be under pressure to open up offices, which have remained mostly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. The latest call for Social Security offices to be opened comes from a group… Read more »
Social Security 2100 Act Introduced In The House
A bill that would drastically overhaul how Social Security benefits are provided was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately the bill really has little chance of becoming law with the current makeup of Congress, but don’t expect the Social Security 2100 Act to go away either. Democrats have set their agenda on how… Read more »
A Look Back At The Paperwork Reduction Act
Back in the 1980s the Paperwork Reduction Act was passed. The purpose, according to the act, was to “protect the public from excessive demands for information,” but decades later does the act achieve its intentions? The answer is likely no, at least when it comes to the Social Security Administration. If you have ever applied… Read more »
