Monthly Social Security Stats Released

The Social Security Administration has released its monthly compilation of statistics for its programs under Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act.

Problem With SSA? Call Your TV Station!

WTOL in Toledo, OH reports that it helped a local woman who had received no payment from Social Security even though almost six months had elapsed after her Social Security disability claim had been approved. While such extraordinary delays have always happened at Social Security, SSA's staffing shortages have made them more common. Others with Social Security problems may want to try contacting their local television station.

Disability Service Improvement Job Open

The Social Security Administration is advertising a job opening for an "Executive Director for Disability Service improvement." The job is in Washington, rather than Baltimore or Boston, where this experiment is to begin. The job will pay from $109,808 to $165,200 per year. The following is the job description:

The incumbent of this position serves as the primary advisor to the Commissioner and lead Agency executive on he rollout and post-implementation phases of the Agency's new approach to the decision-making process when an applicant files an application for disability benefits under Title II or Supplemental Security Income disability benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act. In addition, this executive will be responsible for developing future refinements to the disability claims process. This new approach is the first major program enhancement to the Agency's disability programs in more than 20 years and capitalizes on the efficiencies and benefits gained by the Agency's successful implementation of an electronic disability case processing system.

Another Hearing on SSNs

Congressman Jim McCrery, the Chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee, has scheduled another hearing on the issuance and misuse of Social Security numbers and Social Security cards. This is the fifth hearing he has scheduled on this issue in recent months.

Illinois Women Charged

The Quad City Times reports that two Illinois women have been charged with fraud against the SSI program. Freida Kay Curry has been charged for receiving SSI under two different Social Security numbers and Sarah E. Mortimer for claiming that her husband was not living with her, when he was.

Public Citizen Sues Over Budget Reconciliation

The Budget Reconciliation bill that was signed by the President will, among many other things, affect the way that SSI back benefits are paid by the Social Security Administration. However, there was an unusual aspect to the bill's passage. The versions passed by the two houses of Congress were not exactly identical. This has already brought about a lawsuit by an Alabama attorney. Now, Public Citizen, a major national public interest organization, has also brought suit over the matter. Interestingly enough, the Public Citizen lawsuit has been brought against the Clerk of Court. One of the minor aspects of the Budget Reconciliation bill was an increase in the filing fee for United States District Court. If the bill was not truly passed by Congress, the increase in the filing fee is not valid. Suing the Clerk of Court puts the Judicial Branch of government in the defendant's chair, even though it has little interest in the matter, and forces the Attorney General into finding some way to intervene in a lawsuit to which the Executive Branch is not a party. If nothing else, any attorney has to salute the ingenuity of Public Citizen's attorneys, Allison Zieve, Adina Rosebaum and Brian Wolfram, in framing the lawsuit in this way.

Federal Times on SSA Staffing Problems

The Federal Times reports on Social Security's staffing problems. The article indicates that efforts are underway in Congress to obtain an extra $80 million in funding to help the agency this year.

Cincinnati Bar CLE

The Cincinnati Bar Social Security Committee is putting on a Continuing Legal Education session on Friday May 5, 2006 in Cincinnati.

Social Security Advisory Board Meeting Agenda

The Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) has announced the following schedule for its meeting on Friday, March 24:

9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Dr. Ronald Leopold, MetLife

1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Michael G. Gallagher, Associate General Counsel (Office of General Law) and James A. Winn, Associate General Counsel (Office of Program Law)

NC Man Sentenced For Social Security Fraud

The Salisbury Post reports that a NC man has been sentenced to three years in prison for receiving Social Security disability benefits without reporting that he was working under a false identity.