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We propose to revise our rules regarding when and how often we conduct continuing disability reviews (CDR). The proposed regulations would add a new category to our existing medical diary categories that we use to schedule CDRs and would revise the criteria we follow to place a case in each of the categories. They would also change how often we perform a CDR for claims with the medical diary category for permanent impairments. These revised regulations would ensure that we continue to identify medical improvement at its earliest point and remain up to date with current research.
Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Bob Casey (D-PA) pressured the Trump Administration to provide answers to the American public following a report from the New York Times this week that the White House is working with the Social Security Administration (SSA) on a proposal to monitor social media accounts of Americans who claim disability benefits. The Senators’ letter raises several questions about the proposal related to the privacy of American citizens, the already limited resources available to SSA workers, the use of artificial intelligence, and plans to increase the scope of the social media monitoring program.
Mamie Walker is 84-years-old, has never attended college and depends on her monthly social security check of $1,498 to survive.
But for the past two months, the government has sent Mamie nothing, except a letter claiming she owes them $224,414.50.
A letter from the Treasury Department
claims she has been referred to them for "collection action."
The letter explains up to 15 percent of each of her checks will be withheld to pay the debt. That was shocking enough, but no check came at all in February or March. She received another letter stating she won't receive another check until Sept. 2031.
"I'll probably be dead by then," Walker said. "I'm so scared. I don't sleep at night because I'm so scared next week ... my lights are going to be off."
Mamie says she not only never went to college, but she never learned to read or write because she had to go to work as a child to help support her family as a "field hand." ...
Increasing Social Security benefits for widows can get enough support from both parties in Congress to become law, House Ways & Means Committee Social Security Subcommittee lead Republican Tom Reed said Wednesday.
Stressing the need for an increase at a subcommittee hearing, the New York Congressman said the current system risks putting new widows in poverty by cutting their families’ Social Security payments by a third to a half.
The Democratic proposal is for a general increase in benefits. Their bill would also increase taxes.“Increasing the Social Security survivor’s benefit to 75 percent of the couple’s prior benefit could prevent hardship at a reasonable cost to the program,” said conservative think tank retirement expert Andrew Biggs. ...
Much of the news coverage of President Trump’s proposed 2020 budget, which was released Monday, focuses on two aspects.
One: It’s just a PR exercise, since presidential budgets never get enacted. Two: Trump’s demand for $8.6 billion to build his border wall sets up a new conflict with Congress and maybe another government shutdown.
What shouldn’t fly under the radar, however, are the huge cuts to social safety net programs embedded in the document’s 150 appalling pages. These include drastic reductions in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid—which Trump always promised to protect from any cuts—and to food stamps, housing assistance and family assistance. ...
Trump would gut the nation’s disability programs by $84 billion. At least $10 billion of that would come from Social Security disability through changes in eligibility rules. Another $400 million would come out of the Social Security Administration’s administrative budget, which is already strapped for cash, in the next year alone. Beneficiaries could expect more busy signals on the phone lines and longer waits at Social Security offices. ...
