Dec 14, 2016

Gun Control Regulations Approved

     The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has cleared new Social Security regulations that will have the agency passing along information on claimants who have representative payees to the database used to prevent some individuals from purchasing firearms. Expect these final regulations to appear in the Federal Register shortly and to come info effect before inauguration day. However, it would be possible for the incoming administration to refuse to implement them. You will not be able to read the final version of these regulations until they are sent to the Office of Federal Register.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess the big question is, how does someone so disabled that they can't work and living on disability, usually below the poverty level, afford to purchase a weapon in the first place???

Anonymous said...

@8:58

Guns are actually pretty cheap.

Also, many states restrict a gun purchase for another individual, so a friend or family member wanting to gift a disabled individual with a firearm may provide them with funding to allow the disabled individual to purchase the firearm.

Anonymous said...

Concerning ways to buy a gun: there is retail and there is from the trunk of a car.

As to those with income below the poverty level: I have been in homes/apartments when doing case reviews and find nice flat screen TVs, computers, and multiple smart phones. It should not be surprising that with all the other subsidies for housing, utilities, food, child care, etc. provided by government and other needs based programs that money would be available to purchase a gun and bullets. The way we measure poverty in the USA is much different than how poverty is measured in many countries.

Of course, a disabled person may have owned a gun prior to their disability and the fact that they are disabled or that their financial situation has changed from when they worked has no impact as a general rule on their ability or need to to own or protect themselves as allowed in the constitution.

Anonymous said...

Not everybody on disability is poor. Some have working spouses. Some can get by on very little. Like other insurance programs, I don't wonder how those who had a vehicle replaced in a car accident how they can afford other things in their lives. Insurance is insurance. Not all guns are expensive either. They are cheap enough to be gifts in many families. In some areas, a gun is a just a part of everyday life.

Anonymous said...

Good answers!

Someone can be an millionaire and still be on SSDI. It is not income based.

Anonymous said...

They usually don't...legally anyway. So this wouldn't help in cases like that.

Anonymous said...

to all of you disabled haters i hope you become disabled some day then and only then will you change your pig headed ways

Anonymous said...

@4:10, so you support that a person deemed incapable of properly handling cash benefits from SSA under SSI or SSDI or conducting business with the agency, is capable of handling firearms?

Anonymous said...

Still ignoring how much a nightmare this will be. Payee determinations are not uniform office to office, CR to CR. The likely outcome is a massive amount of people applying to be their own payee and appealing determinations of incapability. I was a CR and now TE and have always thought it is ridiculous for us to give people payees simply because they have issues handling money (Especially SSI folks who have never had any money in the first place). I heard a seasoned CR the other day telling someone over the phone we shouldn't be paying anyone directly whose disability is mental. Many CRs automatically assign payees based on a DDS determination of incapability. This line of thinking is going to come back to bite the agency in a BIG WAY now.

Anonymous said...

What is a CR? This is fro a disabled person. Other anagrams are used here to so the average person like me is clueless to all the anagrams like CR. Thanks. and Merry Christmas to all.

Anonymous said...

CR Claims Representative, they handle the business at SSA offices, make the inputs do the interviews. SR Service Representatives do the hard work of dealing with the general questions and business at the front windows when you are at a office.

CRs are trained for two years before reaching journeymen status.

Anonymous said...

"so you support that a person deemed incapable of properly handling cash benefits from SSA under SSI or SSDI or conducting business with the agency, is capable of handling firearms?"

there is a great answer to this question above.

All it takes is giving one wrong answer during a CE exam and you get hit with a rep payee the rest of your life.

CE: does anyone help you with your finances?
Claimant: Yes, my mom helps me balance my checkbook sometimes.

WHAM! Payee for life.

this is a terrible and very dangerous way to determine taking away people's rights. I am not a big fan of gun rights, but, slippery slope...

Anonymous said...

5:47

thank you for explaining this....

if you (or someone) does not mind another question...

what is "journeyman status"

I sometimes meet people who are experiencing problems with complex SSI financial regs. When this happens, what is the best way for them to get answers? Call or visit office or set up a meeting? Who would they request to meet with them?

thanks for your input.

Anonymous said...

The status is just a way of saying they have an understanding of the work and can perform the basic duties without direct review of each action and have proven to seek assistance when unclear on an action from a TE Technical Expert a person with extensive knowledge and understanding of the programs.

An SSI (Supplement Security Income a needs based program that counts income and resources to get benefits) should be assigned to a CR that has been working on the record. The best thing to do is set up an appointment with that CR directly. Usually, or at least sometimes that CR is listed in the paperwork. Directly calling an office can be difficult, you can set an appointment by calling 1 800 772 1212 and they can see the calendar for your office and set an appointment for you.

Bring documentation. Just saying something does not really give them enough to work with, receipts, lease/rent agreements everything and anything that goes along with the problem. It helps move things along.

Anonymous said...

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200502025

"The DDS opinion is evidence of capability; it is NOT a determination on capability" It is in bold (and all caps) for a reason and that is because it is ignored frequently. This is the problem. Mostly in rural offices it is ignored. Coincidentally, that is where the gun nuts are. It will be bad.

Anonymous said...

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2014/5l.html

that will show you who and how many have a rep payee. Facts, what we used to use to make decisions before opinion became gospel.