Blog

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… Read more »

Sometimes we forget how important Social Security benefits are to millions of Americans who use their benefits to survive, but after reviewing the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s annual poverty statistics, it has never been clearer how crucial Social Security is to Americans. According to a recent story from Vox, of all the social safety net… Read more »

A recent study released by Social Security’s Office of Chief Actuary shows the importance of disability and survivor benefits from Social Security. Most people probably don’t give disability benefits or survivor benefits a second thought because they don’t ponder the possibility that they will become disabled and unable to work, or envision the death of… Read more »

Nancy Berryhill, Social Security’s acting commissioner, sent a memo to all Social Security employees and employees at Disability Determination Services (DDS) announcing that Social Security had caught-up and is now current with Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR). The CDR process reviews the medical conditions of Social Security disability beneficiaries to see whether their medical conditions have… Read more »

The midterm elections are less than two months away. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, but there is a slight possibility the Senate could shift to the Democrats and, at least according to current projections, even a stronger possibility the Democrats could take… Read more »

A recent decision by the Supreme Court in Lucia v. SEC has influenced how Administrative Law Judges are appointed, including ALJs who make decisions on Social Security disability claims. The decision from the Court in Lucia v. SEC ruled that an ALJ at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was not lawfully appointed and had… Read more »

Social Security has announced the closing of several offices in North and South Carolina due to the threat of Hurricane Florence. As of the writing of this blog, USA Today reported that Florence was slowing its approach to the East Coast, but “was expected to take a dangerous turn south and stall along the edge… Read more »

As long as you are at your full retirement age, which is determined by your date of birth, working will not impact your Social Security benefits, but if you are collecting Social Security benefits early, your work income can reduce your benefits. Here is how Social Security determines whether your benefits will be reduced. You… Read more »

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing September 13, 2018 to consider the nomination of Gail Ennis as Social Security’s new inspector general, a nomination that was made in October 2017. Ennis is a retired partner from the Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr Law Firm. The law firm’s website indicates Ennis conducted internal… Read more »

Since 1995 Social Security has employed attorney advisors who have been allowed to approve Social Security disability cases “when the documentary record clearly establishes that a fully favorable decision is warranted to issue fully favorable decisions before a hearing is conducted.” Although this pilot program has been in existence since 1995 it has always been… Read more »