Social Security Disability
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 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 MoreMore Frequent Wage Reporting Would Help Cut Down on SSI Overpayments
The Social Security Administration is calling on private insurers that pay workers’ compensation as well as state and local agencies to report payments to the agency to help cut down on fraud and overpayments. In a recent speech to the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, Carolyn Colvin, deputy administrator for the…
Read MoreSSI and SSDI Could be Revamped
The Social Security Administration is working on new initiatives that could cut down on wasteful overpayments, disincentives to work and costly labor time to investigate payments. The Work Incentives Simplification Pilot is a legislative proposal being considered by Congress that could replace well-intentioned but complicated laws meant to incentivize disability beneficiaries to return to work.…
Read MoreSocial Security Administration Commissions Independent Study of Judges Deciding Appeals
Federal administrative law judges who hear Social Security Disability appeals have widely ranging records that may indicate unfairness in the appeals process. The Social Security Administration is commissioning a review of the entire disability system to make sure it is not awarding benefits to those who do not deserve it and to make sure the…
Read MoreTrue Diagnosis and Legal Representation Key to Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security disability benefits can be difficult to get. The application process can be time consuming and is heavy on paperwork. Many individuals with signs of pain and fatigue wonder if they can get Social Security disability insurance (SSDI). There are some critical steps to increase your chances of successfully winning your claim with the…
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