"Legalized Thievery Of Attorney Fee Payments"

From the Ada Evening News of Oklahoma:

According to a letter sent to Oklahoma congressman Dan Boren by Ada lawyer Casey L. Saunders, recent legal decisions in the Muskogee area may affect the availability of residents to find legal representation for social security disability appeals.

Saunders wrote in his letter that “the Treasury and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are working in concert throughout the country to promote the placement of all Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) attorney fee payments into the name of the plaintiff and then to use these payments to offset the plaintiff’s federal debts whenever possible.

“This policy involves legalized thievery of attorney fee payments. The federal government has no right to these payments which are intended to compensate attorneys for their work in representing social security disability claimants.

“It is incomprehensible that the federal government would involve itself in this sleazy practice.”

Previously when attorney fees were paid by the government, the funds usually went directly to the attorney.