Stephen Goss Testifies On Capitol Hill

Stephen Goss, Social Security's Chief Actuary, testified on July 17 before the House Budget Committee on the desirability of funding for continuing disability reviews and SSI redeterminations. You can read his prepared remarks online. I do not understand why Goss would have been testifying. He does has more credibility with Congress than any other senior Social Security official. Goss has been around for many years and is well respected by both Democrats and Republicans. While funding this part of Social Security's operations is certainly desirable, one has to contrast this effort to make sure there is funding to cut off benefits, with the half-hearted efforts to get enough funding to put disabled people on benefits. Of course, Goss may have testified because everyone else was on vacation.

Social Security Perspectives Blog

I have established a separate Social Security Perspectives blog as a group blog for those who want to post about Social Security topics. So far, only one person has signed up as a blogger and there are only a few posts. If you are interested in posting on this group blog, please use the feedback button on the right side of the page to e-mail me. I can tell you that there are some people who are already checking Social Security Perspectives on a daily basis. Probably a few hundred readers will check out Social Security Perspectives as a result of this post.

Use Of This Blog On Attorney Website

I have been contacted by an attorney who wishes to pay to use an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed from this blog on his firm's website. He was wise to ask. It would be a copyright violation to use an RSS feed on a commercial site without authorization.

I am not sure what to do with the request. It will depend upon whether there are other law firms or other commercial entities who wish to use an RSS feed from this blog on their website or otherwise pay royalties to use items from this blog, either on their website or in some form of newsletter. If you are interested in this, please use the feedback button on the right hand side of this page to e-mail me.

By the way, there is certainly no charge to simply link to this blog. I am delighted if you do so. You need not ask for permission to just link.

An Image From 1939

NADE Newsletter

The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE) has published its Summer 2007 newsletter. It may just be me, but I find the ads from NADE's corporate members to be interesting. The ads themselves are mostly just "tombstones." There is nothing about the ads that reflects badly upon NADE or those advertising, but I keep trying to figure out what makes each corporate member willing to pay money to NADE.

Government Executive.com On Social Security Budget

Government Executive.com has an article up on effort by the Federal Managers Association (FMA) to get an adequate operating budget for the Social Security Administration. Here is an excerpt:

In a summary of the bill, the House Appropriations Committee said the $100 million it added to the president's proposal should improve the agency's ability to handle claims. ...

Jessica Klement, government affairs director for the managers association, disagreed that the $100 million would reduce the backlog. "It's going to slow the growth of the backlog, but it will by no means allow them to work on [it]," she said.

The funds will allow the SSA to replace only 1,000 of the 4,000 employees lost in the last three years, she said. ...

Klement said FMA would like an amendment offered on the House floor to increase SSA funding, but acknowledged that was a long shot.

SSI For Elderly And Disabled Refugees

From Social Security's Legislative Bulletin:

On July 11, 2007 the House passed H.R. 2608, the SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act by voice vote. The bill was sent to the Senate where it awaits action. The House-passed bill would amend section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. SSI-related provisions of H.R. 2608 would:

• Extend temporarily the 7-year eligibility period for refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants to 9 years for the period that begins October 1, 2008 and ends September 30, 2010;

• Exempt those refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants with pending naturalization applications from the time-limited eligibility period. This exemption would also be effective only during the 3-year period the provision would be effective;

• Apply retroactively to those non-citizens whose SSI benefits had previously ceased solely due to the expiration of the 7-year period as well as to eligible individuals whose 7-year period would expire before October 1, 2010;

• Provide for prospective monthly payment of additional SSI benefits over the duration of extended eligibility;

• Revert to the 7-year SSI eligibility period for refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants for months after September 30, 2010; and

• Be effective October 1, 2008.

Monthly Statistics Released

Social Security's Office of Policy has issued its monthly statistical packages for Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act.

Policy Change On Name Changes

Social Security seems to be clearing the decks for an expected wave of calls and visits from people whose names and Social Security numbers do not match. Many Americans will soon be forced by new Homeland Security rules to clear these situations or lose employment. While some of these people with name match problems will be illegal immigrants, most of them are going to be simple name change situations. Here is an excerpt from a recent Emergency Message that seems to reflect a desire to get these processed as quickly as possible.

A. New Policy In name change situations when evidence of identity in the old name is required (e.g., name change occurred more than 2 years ago) and the applicant alleges not having any evidence of identity in the old name with him or her at the time the SSN application is filed, request the following documentation (1, 2) and Numident verification (3) to process the name change:

1. Name change document (e.g., marriage document) showing the old name that agrees with the name on the latest Numident record (e.g., maiden name), and

2. Evidence of identity in the new name (name to be shown on the SSN card), per criteria described in RM 00203.200E., excludes marriage document if it was submitted as the name change document in 1., above, and

3. Verification of identifying information (SSN, name(s) on latest Numident record, date of birth, place of birth, parents’ names) from the latest Numident record (this information is propagated into the SS-5 Assistant/MES application path) with the applicant and data shown on the SS-5. Under this policy, consider the identifying information to match if the following minor discrepancies exist: minor spelling errors, mother’s maiden name is incorrect or unknown, and/or place of birth provided is County of birth instead of city.

Important: If these three documentation requirements are not met, the name change request cannot be processed under this new policy. Evidence of identity in the old name would need to be submitted if required under the instructions in EM-06064 (for name changes based on marriage and divorce) or RM 00203.210 (for other types of name changes).

Mental Illness Causing Disability

Bet you would not think there would be anything relevant to this site on iAfrica.com, but you would be wrong. Here is an excerpt from an article about something that is definitely an issue for the U.S. Social Security Administration:

Mental illnesses such as depression and post traumatic stress disorder have overtaken back pain as the world's number one reason for disability claims, the Life Offices Association (LOA) said on Wednesday. ...

... mental diseases presented a challenge for life insurers because they were difficult to measure due to their "subjective nature". "

Demonstrating that circumstances in Africa are a bit different than the U.S, iAfrica has this as a a blurb for an article:

A North West owner of 10 lions that killed a boy has offered to sell two of the animals to compensate the child's family, the province said on Thursday.