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.
Chief Information Officer To Remain In Post
Most people are aware that Nancy Berryhill became the new acting commissioner after Carolyn Colvin stepped down when President Donald Trump took office. The early stage of a new administration usually mixes employees from a past administration with employees from an incoming administration and Social Security is no different. There was some question as to whether there would be a mass exit of top Social Security officials once Trump became president, but that has not happened as of yet. Rob Klopp, the agency’s chief information officer has remained in his post after Trump officials asked him to stay on until the new White House “settles in.” One possible reason Klopp may have decided to stay in his post is because Social Security is right in the middle of modernizing its information technology infrastructure.
ALJ Union Leader Speaks Out On Hiring Freeze
President Donald Trump signed an executive order instituting a hiring freeze for federal employees that will hamstring the Social Security Administration and now allow the agency to fill any openings for at least the next 90 days. The move was criticized by many including Marilyn Zahm, the president of the Association of Administrative Law Judge’s union. In a story reported by Bloomberg, Zahm said the hiring freeze is going to hurt the most vulnerable of Americans who need Social Security benefits to survive.
“These are people who are desperate,” Zahm said. “There may be a hiring freeze on federal employment, but there’s no freeze on people getting older, people getting sicker, people having injuries and accidents, and people needing disability insurance.”
New Rule Mandates 75 Days Notice Of Hearings
The Social Security Administration recently sent a letter to claimant representatives informing that a new rule will require Social Security to provide claimants at least 75 days in advance of a hearing date scheduled before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The previous rule only required the agency to inform of a hearing date at least 20 days in advance. In all reality, this new rule will probably not change much. Even though Social Security was only required to inform of a hearing date at least 20 days in advance, typically hearings were scheduled at least two to three months in advance. The new rule will ensure that claimants and their representatives are better prepared to have all medical evidence submitted prior to a hearing.
NRA Fights Restrictions On Guns For Mentally Disabled
Last year Social Security implemented a rule that would restrict disability recipients who were ordered to have a representative payee to purchase firearms. As you could guess the National Rifle Association opposed this rule and has lobbied Congress to change it. In a news release from the NRA, the lobbying group announced that Congress has agreed to review the new rule and “likely revoke” it. Mentally disabled individuals who are required to have a payee are not considered to be able to handle their own finances because of their impairments. The NRA has no problem taking these disabled individual’s right to manage their own finances, but does oppose to restrict firearms from people who suffer from severe mental illness.
