The Most Important Facts About Social Security Disability Benefits

Courtesy of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) newsletter

Swine Flu And Social Security

From a press release issued by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents most Social Security employees:

The Social Security Administration has taken no action to close two offices in Wisconsin despite several of its employees being exposed to the H1N1 flu virus. “This has become a matter of public safety and SSA needs to act,” stated Loni Schultz, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1346, which represents employees in several SSA offices in the Wisconsin area. “We have an employee who was diagnosed with swine flu on June 16th. This employee had been to multiple offices prior to, and on the day of being diagnosed, including the Milwaukee DT Reuss Building and the Waukesha, Wisconsin SSA office. There now are four employees at the Waukesha, Wisconsin office with suspected cases. It is appalling that SSA has taken no action to close or sanitize these offices, or notify the public of this exposure.” ...

According to a GAO report released this week, SSA is one of three government agencies that have no operational pandemic plans in place.

Occupational Information Development Advisory Committee Meeting Scheduled

A teleconference meeting has been scheduled for July 14. It is possible to listen in.

Is This Misleading?

The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting on how to look for employment at Social Security. The article says that non-disabled job applicants should check Social Security Careers regularly, but does that website list the Federal Career Intern positions at Social Security? That is the knock on Social Security's hiring. Are many, perhaps most, job openings at Social Security filled without public notice of a job opening? Is that appropriate?

Happy Juneteenth!

Happy Juneteenth!

Who's Your Daddy?

The California Appellate Report blog reports on a surprising decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2004 the 9th Circuit ruled in Gillett-Netting v. Barnhart, 371 F.3d 593 that a child conceived using artificial insemination after the death of the father could be considered the child of the decedent for Social Security purposes. However, the Court has just decided in Vernoff v. Astrue that another child conceived in a similar manner after the death of the father could not be considered the child of the decedent. There are differences in the facts between the two cases, but not enough that I would have expected this.

Can Anyone Explain This One To Me?

The Associated Press reports that the American Medical Association has gone on record in opposition to defining obesity as a disability since physicians might be unable to discuss obesity with their overweight patients if obesity were defined as a disability.

Heart disease can certainly be considered a disability now. Does this mean that doctors are already unable to talk about heart disease with their patients? I think it might be difficult to be a cardiologist if that were true!

"Simply Because Their Pay Comes From A Federal Source"

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday defended her furlough plans for state workers from an objection by the federal Social Security Administration.

The federal agency warned that furloughs of federally funded workers in the state Department of Human Services could cost the state $1.9 million in federal money and delay the processing of about 3,000 Social Security claims over two years.

In a letter to the Social Security commissioner, the governor wrote that her decision to furlough all state workers "recognized that employees working side-by-side, whether their paychecks come from federal funds, state funds, special funds, or other taxpayer resources, should be treated in the same, even-handed manner."

"It is troubling that some would argue they are 'special' or should be set apart from their brethren, simply because their pay comes from a federal source." ...

The state's congressional delegation, citing the Social Security Administration's objections, called Lingle's furlough plans troubling and urged the governor to reconsider. The delegation warned that other state workers who are federally funded could be in a similar situation as workers at the disability determination branch.

E-Verify Delayed

From the Adjunct Law Prof Blog:

E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. E-Verify is free and voluntary.

However, federal contractors will shortly be required to use this system. The effective date, however has been pushed back until September 8, 2009.

The News You Need To Know

From the New York Daily News:

A Brooklyn man who police said dressed in drag to impersonate his dead mother and collect $115,000 in Social Security check and rent subsidies was indicted Wednesday on 47 counts of grand larceny, forgery and conspiracy.

Thomas Prusik-Parkin's alleged accomplice, Mhilton Rimolo, was also indicted and both men face up to 25 years in prison if they're convicted. ...

Prusik-Parkin's alleged scam began in 2003 when his mother, Irene Prusik, died at age 73.

Her son allegedly gave the funeral director the wrong Social Security number and date of birth for his mother so that her death would not be registered in government databases.

He began collecting $700 a month in Social Security in her name, in addition to his own disability checks, sources said.