The Better Business Bureau has had a few calls about this scam. It starts with a letter, supposedly from the government, that says you're going to get a check for one thousand dollars. However, before you get it, you'll need to verify your information and how you want to get that money; whether you want to receive it monthly, quarterly, or so on. But, don't fall for this.
In the final months of his life, Darrin Nelson struggled to pay for his Charlotte apartment and groceries as he battled the effects of AIDS.
He had applied for Social Security disability benefits after he became too sick to work, but government assistance never arrived.
Officials ruled him eligible for cash assistance in February, nearly a month after he died.
Now the Social Security Administration is apologizing for not acting sooner and has promised to give the money Nelson deserved to his mother. ...
Federal officials began looking into Nelson's case last month after they were contacted by the newspaper. Three days later, they awarded Nelson benefits, a Social Security spokeswoman said this week.
Fee Payments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Month/Year | Volume | Amount |
Jan-09 | 28,423 | $101,128,880.69 |
Feb-09 | 31,352 | $112,791,207.17 |
AFGE Local 1923 called for a rally on January 22, 2008 at Headquarters to protest the Commissioner’s actions to shut down the EAA [Employee Activities Association, which is at the heart of the angriest dispute between the union and Astrue] ...
On the day of the rally over 300 SSA employees were greeted by an overwhelming police presence. Commissioner Astrue had summoned police from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and contract guards. In addition, demonstrating SSA employees were greeted by police dogs. ...
Not only did SSA order scores of police to the rally but unidentified photographers, who apparently worked for either SSA or the police agencies, took pictures of the entire rally.
Current Commissioner Michael J. Astrue was appointed in 2006 for a six-year term that began in February 2007. Out of respect for the country’s decisive vote last fall against the Bush policies and for restoring government to its rightful focus on the people’s interests instead of the monied interests, Commissioner Astrue should resign.
Any sense of decency should have led him to submit his resignation by this time. If he continues to try to hold onto his job, the Obama Administration should seek his ouster.
... [D]espite assurances at his congressional confirmation hearing that he would improve labor relations at SSA, Commissioner Astrue has cut off all communication with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the Association of Administrative Law Judges/ International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (AALJ/IFPTE), and refuses to recognize AFGE and the AALJ/IFPTE as the exclusive representatives of many bargaining unit employees at SSA. He refuses to meet and discuss important work-related issues with AFGE and the AALJ/IFPTE, adversely affecting sound labor relations and employee morale.
... [S]implifying policy on food or shelter support to recipients from family and friends is especially compelling. Current policy on such in-kind support requires that recipients answer detailed questions about household composition, household expenses, and any contributions from the recipient and members of the household toward household expenses. This detailed household information is collected not only for initial applications, but also when there are changes in address, household composition, or household expenses. Moreover, although this information is collected for most recipients, much of it is unverifiable. ... [T]here is a consensus among policymakers and program administrators that current SSI policies on in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) are complex, intrusive, and sometimes inequitable. In addition, these policies create a disincentive for families and friends who might otherwise increase food or shelter support to recipients. Finally, year-after-year ISM is shown to be a major source of payment error ...
Over the years, policymakers have evaluated several alternatives to ISM ... Of these alternatives, benefit restructuring has emerged as an interesting option because it simply eliminates all ISM-related benefit reductions, assuring program simplification. The benefit restructuring options considered here incorporate a cost neutrality constraint; that is, the cost of increasing benefits to recipients with ISM is fully offset by other benefit reductions. ...
Under benefit restructuring, benefit reductions for ISM recipients would be eliminated and, to offset the program cost increases, a smaller benefit reduction would be implemented for the large number of adult recipients who live with other adults.
SSA will accept language in a fee agreement that would apply if the Commissioner increases the limit after the date of the agreement. In the examples below, if the decision maker approves the fee agreement on or after the date the Commissioner increases the limit, and the agreement meets all conditions of the fee agreement process and no exceptions apply, SSA will authorize a fee of the lesser of 25 percent of past-due benefits or the increased cap limit:
EXAMPLE 3-1: If SSA favorably decides the claim, I will pay my representative a fee equal to the lesser of 25 percent of my past-due benefits or the dollar amount established pursuant to section 206(a)(2)(A) , which is currently $5,300, but may be increased from time to time by the Commissioner of Social Security.
EXAMPLE 3-2: If SSA favorably decides the claim, I will pay my representative a fee equal to the lesser of 25 percent of my past-due benefits or $5,300 (or such higher amount as the Commissioner of Social Security may prescribe pursuant to section 206(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act).
EXAMPLE 3-3 I will pay my representative a fee equal to 25 percent of any past-due benefits from my claim or, if less, the maximum dollar amount allowed pursuant to section 206(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act, based on the date SSA approves my fee agreement.
KEENE, N.H. (AP) — A 69-year-old man angry about being put on hold has been charged with threatening to kill a Social Security Administration worker. Police said the man called a Social Security answering service in New York because he was upset about not receiving his check.
He told police he was on hold for more than 30 minutes, and when a supervisor finally told him she couldn't help, he said he was going to kill the first person he met at the Social Security office in Keene.
