Congressional Quarterly On Social Security Issues

From Congressional Quarterly:

House Democratic leaders Thursday warned the Social Security Administration not to implement a proposed regulation they fear might increase the backlog of disability claims and unfairly deny benefits to deserving applicants. ...

“What if you’re having chemotherapy the day of the hearing, and you didn’t know that in advance?” a Ways and Means aide said. “It’s full of stuff like that. I just don’t see how beneficiaries could navigate this, and the actuary agrees — he says this is going to reduce benefits.”

The new rule, Shor said, is “really designed to discourage a claimant — particularly an unrepresented claimant — from appealing a denial of benefits.” About a third of those who appeal do not hire lawyers, she said. ...

Meanwhile, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus , D-Mont., wrote Jim Nussle, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, urging him to include more money for administrative expenses in President Bush’s fiscal 2009 budget for Social Security. ...