Man Arrested For Threatening To Shoot Up Field Office

     George Elden Robinson was arrested in Phoenix after allegedly threatening to shoot up a Social Security field office on July 11.

Report On Decline In Disability Claims

     Social Security's Office of Retirement and Disability Policy has published a briefing paper dealing with the question of why the number of disability claims approved has gone down so much. It doesn't come to any definite conclusions.

    The main problem I have with this otherwise thorough report is that it mostly limits the data presented to 2017 and earlier. Since then the number of disability claims filed has continued to go down dramatically while the unemployment rate has held pretty much steady. That's hard to explain if your theory is that number of disability claims has declined due to reduced unemployment. I think this is the main issue that needs to be examined and this report seems to skirt around it.
     I believe that more research is needed on the connection between the quality or lack of quality of service at Social Security and the number of disability claims filed. As this report indicates, many who might file claims are ambivalent about doing so. This ambivalence makes them easily deterred by difficulty in filing a claim. We have some research on this subject but not much.
     By the way, if you think that the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy must issue many briefing papers like this, you're wrong. It's August and this one is labeled "Briefing Paper No. 2019-01." What exactly do they do in that Office?

About 500 Of Eric Conn's Former Clients Get Their Disability Benefits Restarted

     About 500 of Eric Conn's former clients will get their benefits reinstated, at least for now, as a result of the decision of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Hicks v. Commissioner of Social Security. This only applies to those whose cases are pending on appeal. There are others who did not appeal their terminations who are not currently affected. There is a class action lawsuit pending which may get their benefits reinstated. It's not at all clear what process Social Security will use in any future benefit redeterminations for Conn's former clients.

Happy 84th Birthday, Social Security!

By the way, notice the cigar in the left hand of the man on the right. That was Senator Pat Harrison of Misissippi. Different times.

Social Security Ruling 19-3p

     Social Security Ruling 19-3p will be in the Federal Register tomorrow. It's on requesting reconsideration or a hearing. The regulations require that these appeals be in writing. The Ruling, as best I can tell on a first reading, is designed to make it clear that the agency considers an appeal filed through its online systems to be in "writing."