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Vocational Experts (VEs) play an integral role in Social Security disability hearings. The testimony of VEs can be crucial to whether a disability claimant is approved for disability benefits and nearly every disability hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has a VE appear to testify. A few months ago Social Security set new qualifications… Read more »

Less than a week after delivering the State of the Union address to Congress, where President Donald Trump said that he would “always protect” Medicare and Social Security, Trump’s recently released budget proposal shows those were empty words. Reuters published a story about Trump’s $4.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2020, which increases military… Read more »

Earlier this month President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate William G. Dauster of Maryland to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust fund, a member of the Board of Trustees of… Read more »

The idea that people who are collecting Social Security disability benefits are lazy and bilking the government out of money because they don’t want to get a job is not a new one, but President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to make it more difficult to stay on benefits is a sign that the idea will… Read more »

Previously we have noted that President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget proposal would be harmful to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid if enacted because he is looking to save money on benefits paid to Americans, but the administration is also trying to underfund the entire agency with this proposal. Trump’s budget proposal will not… Read more »

Social Security finalized regulations on representative payees and posted the information Feb. 11, 2020 in the Federal Register. Below is a summary of the action, which will go into effect Feb. 25, 2020. We are finalizing our proposed regulations specifying the information Social Security beneficiaries and applicants must provide to designate individuals as their possible… Read more »

Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul sat down with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to explain what changes he is making at the agency to improve customer service and to combat new Social Security schemes aimed at stealing benefits from Americans. Saul, rightfully so, is focused on improving customer service at Social Security field… Read more »

Social Security forecasts that disability benefits would be reduced by $2.6 billion through 2029 if a proposed rule change, which is backed by President Donald Trump’s Administration, is enacted. The proposed rule change would increase the medical reviews of disabled workers, resulting in an increase of people being kicked off benefits, but Democratic lawmakers and… Read more »

We have reported in previous blogs about a new scam that has become widespread where fraudulent callers inform people their Social Security number has been suspended and they must provide private information to resolve the problem. The scam has become so widespread that Social Security has increased its efforts to combat the problem by offering… Read more »

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program for low-income seniors and disabled people. Because it is a needs-based program you have to show a lack of income and assets and must be either a certain age or disabled. Many people who have limited income and assets still don’t meet the technical requirements of the… Read more »