Social Security Wins Technology Award

The Social Security Administration has been awarded the SHARE 2006 Award for Excellence in Technology. SHARE describes itself as"an independent, volunteer-run association providing IBM customers with user-focused education, professional networking, and a forum to influence the Information Technology (IT) industry." The award is sponsored by IBM. According to SHARE's press release:

The team from the Social Security Administration was honored with this award as a result of their innovation in network connectivity, which resulted in providing thousands of employees with a network that is significantly more resilient, reliable and scalable to better manage data regarding taxes, retirement, disability, family benefits, survivors and Medicare.

Robert Baulmer Has An Unusual Social Security Problem

Robert Baulmer was on Social Security disability benefits for 22 years, but now has a problem with Social Security. The agency will not let him withdraw his claim for Social Security disability benefits! Baulmer believes his Christian faith has healed him. He not only wants to drop his Social Security disability benefits, but to withdraw his claim altogether. Social Security is refusing his request, since Baulmer is able to repay only $22,000 of the $188, 670.30 he received from Social Security over the years.

Social Security Subcommittee Hearing

This set of hearings is beginning to sound a bit obsessive. This is an excerpt from the press release from the House Social Security Subcommittee:

Congressman Jim McCrery (R-LA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold the fourth in a series of Subcommittee hearings on Social Security number (SSN) high-risk issues. The hearing will examine expanding uses of the SSN card and measures to prevent SSN card fraud. The hearing will take place on Thursday, March 16, 2006 in room B‑318 Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Fee Payments Increase

Social Security has posted the statistics for January and February on payments of fees to attorneys and others entitled to direct payment of fees for representing claimants. Fees increased by 9% from January to February of this year. Here are the numbers:

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-06	18,752	$64,848,326.02
Feb-06	20,426	$70,312.586.15

Montana Woman Charged With Social Security Fraud

The Great Falls Tribune reports that a Glendive, MT woman has pleaded not guilty to Social Security fraud. She had received over $100,000 in dependent's benefits after she lost custody of the children for whom the benefits were being paid.

Bill Thomas to Retire

Bill Thomas, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has announced his retirement from Congress at the end of this Congressional session. Thomas had been ineligible for another term as Chairman under House Republican rules. The current chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee of Ways and Means, Jim McCrery, is the leading candidate to succeed Thomas, if Republicans retain control of the House of Representatives.

Rubin Advises Democrats To Reject Bush Social Security Commission

Robert Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, has advised Democrats to reject President Bush's State of the Union address proposal for a bipartisan commission to study Social Security. Rubin advises Democrats instead to push for a broader "fiscal commission" to study all aspects of the federal budget, including whether the Bush tax cuts should be continued, in addition to Social Security.

Massachusetts Man Charged With Fraud

A Boston man has been charged with using the name, Social Security number and date of birth of a New York man to obtain $22,250 of Social Security disability benefits over two years.