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.
The Rich Collect More In Social Security Benefits
The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College recently published a report indicating wealthier people, on average, live longer and collect more in Social Security benefits, which is a bit contrary to how the Social Security Act was designed. Social Security was supposed to be modestly progressive, meaning that poorer people were supposed to get a better deal from Social Security than wealthier people, but because wealthier people are living longer, this is changing things. To take a look at the entire report click here.
Another Threat At A Social Security Office
A 56-year-old woman was arrested after assaulting a security officer and pulling a knife at a Northern Virginia Social Security office Sept. 18, 2018. According to a story in the Washington Post, police were called to the Social Security office on Waples Mill Road in Fairfax Virginia after the woman was yelling at Social Security employees and hit a security guard with a fanny pack and threatened the security guard with a knife. Police caught-up with the woman nearby the office and arrested her, but no one was injured in the incident.
Congressional Hearing On Social Security Information Technology Is Sept. 27
The House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee announced it has scheduled a hearing Sept. 27 to listen to testimony regarding the state of Social Security’s information technology. Social Security has been trying to update its technology infrastructure that is now more than 30 years old and the committee wants to hear about the agency’s progress.
“For too long, Social Security has relied on outdated information technology (IT) systems and software. The good news is that last October Social Security announced plans for a major IT modernization effort. While Social Security has made some real progress, Congress needs to keep a close eye on these efforts to make sure they get it right. After all, IT plays a vital role when it comes to Social Security providing the service Americans want, need, and deserve, said Sam Johnson, R-Texas, the subcommittee’s chairman.
Social Security is in the third year of a second attempt to develop the Disability Case Processing System (DCPS) to replace the legacy case processing systems used at the state-run, federally funded Disability Determination Services. Since the reboot in 2015, DCPS has faced development delays and recently increased its cost estimate for completion of the project by more than 25 percent due to a failure to adequately identify the scope at the outset.
For more information about the upcoming hearing click here.
