Posts by Robert Alston
Reallocate Payroll Taxes to Shore Up Social Security Disability Trust Fund
In American politics, partisan gridlock is the norm. It is therefore not terribly surprising that Congress has so far delayed reforming Social Security for retirees. After all, reforms to extend the program’s solvency would require increases to payroll taxes, cuts to benefits, or both – all politically toxic proposals. And the program’s trust fund is…
Read MoreSocial Security Audit Shows Agency Has Overpaid $1.3 Billion in Disability Benefits
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Social Security Administration (SSA) has made significant overpayments to some recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance, causing some of those individuals a great deal of trouble. The SSA is reluctant to admit the mistakes, but worker advocacy groups and beneficiaries’ attorneys say the agency is to blame.…
Read MoreAmid Rising Pedestrian Fatality Rates, Federal Agencies Unveil Grants and Online Tools for Safety Initiatives
A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) covering auto accidents involving pedestrians shows that in 2011, for the second year in a row, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased from the year before. In response, the Department of Transportation (DOT), which includes the NHTSA, announced the availability of pedestrian safety grants…
Read MoreU.S. Traffic Deaths Increased in 2012 for First Time Since 2005
Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration makes a detailed analysis of auto accident statistics in the U.S. Compiling and studying the data takes a long time, and the full reports are not ready until about 18 months after the end of the calendar year. But a preliminary report on auto accident fatalities in…
Read MoreWill Florida’s Texting-While-Driving Ban Prevent Car Accidents?
Florida has enacted a ban on texting while driving, but critics say the law has no teeth. Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law on May 28, 2013. The ban prohibits the use of cell phones for sending text messages or email while driving under most circumstances. But “most circumstances” comes with a number…
Read MoreHiring an Attorney Can Ease Stress of a SSDI Appeal
Appealing a Social Security disability claim can seem like a daunting task, but the chances of that claim being successful increase significantly with the help of a qualified SSD attorney. Many claimants balk at the idea of hiring an attorney because of cost, but they often do not realize that there is no up-front cost…
Read MoreSocial Security Judges File Lawsuit Alleging They are Held to Quotas
Claims for Social Security Disability Insurance take a long time to be processed and decided these days. An increase in the number of claims in recent years has caused wait times for some applicants to stretch into the hundreds of days. It is in everyone’s best interest for this backlog to be eliminated so that…
Read MoreSocial Security Disability Advocates Respond to NPR Story
A story recently aired on National Public Radio (NPR) has sparked a national conversation on a federal government benefit program, including passionate defenses and calls for its overhaul. The program is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and as the NPR series “Unfit For Work” described, its payroll, after sharp growth in recent years, now numbers…
Read MoreComputerized Medical Records to Streamline Social Security Disability Claims
Software developers at the Wright State Research Institute have developed a system that may dramatically streamline Social Security disability claims. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates an individual’s claim for disability benefits; the system will soon use electronic medical records to reduce the decision time from 100 days or more to as little as…
Read MoreLawsuits Filed over Highway Crashes in Florida
Thirteen lawsuits were recently filed against the state of Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from family members of people who were killed on Interstate 75 or from individuals who injured in those accidents. Eleven people died on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on January 29, 2012. It is highly unusual for such a…
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