Is It Wrong For A State To Do This?

     From the New Hampshire Union-Leader:

Four years ago, in the depths of the Great Recession, staffers in the state Division of Family Assistance started to notice that people were applying for disability income through the state, but not following through with their federal applications.

"In 2009, we began asking the question: Are we maximizing federal revenue in our state programs?" said Terry Smith, division director. "So I met with Social Security, and we did a case load analysis."

The analysis showed the state could save millions by making sure all federal options were exhausted before state assistance kicked in through Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled (APTD), which was intended to supplement, not replace, Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).

In March 2010, three staff members in the division were reassigned to a newly created Facilitated Social Security Unit, with impressive results. ...

"We push clients into doing the Social Security applications and appeals," said Smith. "We don't actually do any of the work for them, but we require them to provide verifications to us that they have done their job."