NPRM On Requesting Hearings May Be Coming

     The Social Security Administration has submitted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) concerning requesting hearings. The full text is not released at this point. Here’s the agency’s summary:

Current regulations allow a claimant to request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) by filing a written request (20 CFR 404.933(a) and 416.1433(a)). Claimants overwhelmingly use form HA-501 to request a hearing, but can also submit a letter or other written document (HALLEX I-2-0-40). We propose to revise our regulations to make form HA-501 (Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge) mandatory to request a hearing before an ALJ. We also propose to consolidate form HA-501 with form HA-55, Notice of Ways to Attend a Hearing, and form HA-56, Agreement to Appearing by Online Video form (HA-56). This proposal will reduce processing time for each case, improve customer service, and streamline our process for scheduling hearings.

     This is a long way from finalization. It takes months, sometimes many months, for OMB to consider the NPRM. If they approve it the agency can publish it in the Federal Register and the public can comment on it. The agency has to consider the comments and write up a final version to again submit to OMB for approval of the final rule. OMB can once again take many months to act. Only then can it be published in the Federal Register as a final rule. I’ll make a guess that the Trump Administration finishes this one as they’re leaving office. 

Trump Induced Jump In Retirement Claims

      From the New York Times:

Until recently, economic researchers were cheering an encouraging trend: Older Americans were staying in the labor force longer and waiting longer to claim their Social Security benefits, aiming to enhance their financial stability in retirement. …

Economists had documented that Americans were both retiring later and claiming their benefits later — until last year, when “all hell broke loose,” said Alicia Munnell, former director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. In an unprecedented surge, hundreds of thousands more people than usual suddenly filed for retirement benefits. …

From October 2024 to April 2025, [researchers] found, claims jumped by 267,000 compared with the previous year, a 13 percent surge. Typically, “the fluctuations were more in the 2 to 3 percent range,” [said a researcher]. …

In a 2021 study by the Boston College center, researchers showed more than 3,100 participants headlines about Social Security. One referred fairly neutrally to “a long-term financing shortfall,” while others used scarier phrases like “deplete its reserves” and “headed toward insolvency.” The accompanying short text stayed the same.

“With the headlines that were more fear-inducing, people tended to say they would claim earlier, about a year earlier,” than the control group reading the neutral headline, said Gal Wettstein, associate director of health and insurance at the center and the study co-author.

By 2025, this was no longer an academic experiment. Negative media coverage was “overwhelming,” he said. “People saw it every day.” …

A year later, claiming has reverted to more normal levels. From October 2025 to April 2026, new Social Security claims fell by 235,000, about a 10 percent drop. … The decline “effectively canceled out the surge.” …

Did You Know There’s A Highly Contested Senate Race In Alaska?

      From a Social Security press release:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced a significant expansion of resources to better meet the needs of Alaskans. This effort includes improved phone service, targeted support for remote communities, expanded virtual-service options, and new technology designed to make it easier for residents to access Social Security services. …

     After reading the entire press release, I don’t know if there’s anything new in it,

Not A Bit Surprised

      From the Washington Post:

Days before consequential midterm elections, the head of the Social Security Administration blasted out an email to the public praising President Donald Trump. 


“Under President Donald J. Trump, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is transforming into a model of excellence, one that meets and exceeds customer expectations for fast, accurate, and secure service,” Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano wrote to people with online Social Security accounts. 


The emails were sent on Friday and Saturday, according to copies of the email reviewed by The Washington Post and posted on social media accounts. Online, some recipients complained about the email, saying it read like propaganda. …

Halloween Poll

 

Bisignano Donates To Trump Accounts

      From an IRS press release issued on Thursday:

Today, Frank J. Bisignano, a native of Brooklyn’s Old Mill Basin neighborhood, announced a donation from The Bisignano Family Fund to the Trump Accounts of children living in his hometown zip code. A gift of $250 is being made to every child aged two to eight years old residing in zip code 11234.

“Brooklyn is home for me. My life was shaped by the people, schools, and neighborhoods in Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, and Flatlands,” said Bisignano. “This donation is an investment in the children of Brooklyn, giving them a boost in their personal wealth building journeys.” …

Peltier Wins Award

      Nextgov/FCW reports that the Public Service Leadership Academy has awarded its Government Executive of the Year award to Brian Peltier, Head of Technology, Customer Data and Artificial Intelligence at Social Security.

 …“My goal is to hide the complexity of government and make it feel simple for the person when they need us or [for] the employee serving,” Peltier said at the gala [announcing the award]. “My vision is simple: to be able to choose how you interact with us, move between channels when you need them and still get the same level of service. Maybe your aunt wants to come in her Sunday best with you all to apply for retirement. Maybe your sister was injured and needs to apply for disability from home. Neither experience is more important than the other. What matters is that we meet people where they are instead of forcing them to meet the government where [it is].” …

Could Removing The FICA Tax Cap Come Up For A Vote In The Next Congress?

      PolicyViz tried to find out how candidates in the 20 most hotly contested Senate races stood on proposals to solve Social Security’s funding difficulties by eliminating the cap on the FICA tax that supports Social Security. The results are enlightening. Thirteen Democrats and four independents support removing the cap while two Democrats are generally in support of raising taxes on the wealthy for this purpose but don’t endorse a specific plan. Three Republicans support eliminating the FICA cap. Only one candidate, an Republican, opposes eliminating the cap.  Sixteen Republicans and two Democrats have said nothing on the issue.

     I don’t know when this might come up in the Senate. Certainly not in the next two years if Republicans control the chamber but if Democrats are in charge, who knows? It looks like Republicans would prefer not to vote on it but if forced they may find it difficult to vote against it. Would Democrats try to bring it to a vote in the next Congress if they get a chance? They certainly wouldn’t mind forcing a tough vote on Republicans. Would Trump veto it if it comes to his desk?