A combination of groups that advocate for people with disabilities have publicly come out against Social Security’s recent proposed revisions to the rules of conduct and standards of responsibility for representatives assisting clients with disability claims. It’s not necessarily that the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is sticking up for attorneys and client representatives,… Read more »
Blog
Social Security Employee Won’t Participate in LGBT Training
I think we can all remember the Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis, who last year was sent to jail for refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples because it was against her religious beliefs despite the fact that the Supreme Court ruled marriages between same-sex couples were legal. There is really no way to… Read more »
Misleading Letters While Waiting For A Hearing
Everyone who has filed a request for hearing in a Social Security disability case receives, or should receive, a letter from the Social Security Administration indicating Social Security has received the request, but also asking the claimant to submit medical records because there is a possibility that a favorable decision could be made without going… Read more »
Social Security COLA Expected To Increase By 0.2 Percent
A recent Social Security Administration trustee’s report estimated that in 2017 Social Security beneficiaries, this includes those who receive retirement, disability and survivor’s benefits, can expect to see a 0.2 percent increase in their monthly payments. Obviously this is not news to jump for joy about. The only concession is that at least it will… Read more »
Social Security Faced Significant Staffing Losses In Last 5 Years
The argument that government keeps getting bigger won’t play when you look at Social Security staffing levels between 2010 and 2015. Increased wait times and staffing shortages have been popular topics when it comes to Social Security because so many people rely on the agency for retirement, disability and survivor’s benefits. Many of these people,… Read more »
Chief Administrative Law Judge: ‘This Is Crisis Time For Us’
A recent email reportedly that was sent to Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) from Chief Administrative Law Judge Debra Bice asked that all ALJs schedule at least 45-50 disability hearings a month in an effort to reduce caseload backlogs that have left more than 1 million people across the country waiting for disability hearings. The email… Read more »
Madison ALJ Stripped Of Caseload
A Madison, WI Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) was relieved of his duties at the Madison hearings office after it was revealed that some of his hearing notes reference racial and sexual overtones describing claimants. According to the story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Judge John H. Pleuss has been removed from the list of judges… Read more »
When Did Social Security Disability Begin?
If history lessons have taught us anything, we should all know the impacts of the Wall Street Market crash of 1929, which led to President Theodore Roosevelt being elected and the enactment of some social and government safety nets for Americans prior to which none were available. In 1935, the Social Security Act was passed… Read more »
What is Private Disability Insurance?
Many times Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is confused with private disability insurance a worker receives through an employer. It is important to know that these are two programs are different entities and just because you receive payments through either a short-term or long-term private disability insurance plan, it does not guarantee you Social Security… Read more »
Planning Ahead For Your Hearing Is Crucial
If you have filed a Social Security disability claim the day of your scheduled hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will probably be one of the most important days of your life, so you should treat it that way. The most important thing to remember when it comes to a disability hearing is you… Read more »
