New Regulations on Civil Monetary Penalties

The Social Security Administration has published final regulations on civil monetary penalties to

... implement amendments to section 1129 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–8) to provide for the imposition of civil monetary penalties and/or assessments: against representative payees who convert Social Security benefits for a use other than for the use or benefit of the beneficiary; against those who withhold disclosure of material statements to SSA; and, against those who make false or misleading statements or representations or omissions of material fact with respect to benefits or payments under title VIII of the Social Security Act.

The regulations had been criticized by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) as overly broad, but were adopted with only minor changes.

New Regs on PASS

Social Security has published new final regulations on the SSI Program for Achieving Self Support (PASS) program. PASS plans allow SSI recipients to set aside income and resources to help achieve a goal of self support. The new regulations implement a statutory change adopted in 1994 allowing PASS plans to last up to 48 months. Because of other changes in the administration of the PASS program, very few SSI recipients are using the PASS program. It has become nearly a dead letter. Social Security statistics show a declining number of SSI recipients returning to work. Annual Report of the Supplemental Security Income Program 2005 at page 92.

SSA Tries to Drum Up Interest in Ticket To Work

The Social Security Administration is scheduling meetings in Richmond, Sacramento, Boise, Helena, Austin, Mobile, Des Moines, Lansing, Albany and Hartford to try to encourage community groups to apply to offer community based planning and assistance for Social Security disability benefit recipients who wish to use the Ticket to Work program. Despite great fanfare the Ticket to Work program has drawn little interest from Social Security disability benefit recipients.

The Final Day

Today is the final day for Medicare recipients to sign up for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, without penalty. Efforts, primarily by Democrats in Congress, to extend the deadline have been unsuccessful. There are signs that there is interest among Republicans in Congress in reopening the signup period, but it is unclear whether this will go forward. President Bush has strongly opposed any extension of the deadline and many Republicans want to put this behind them as quickly as possible. Any Medicare recipient who has not already signed up should carefully consider signing up before midnight.

Monthly Social Security Stats and More

Social Security's Office of Policy (OP) has released the monthly statistical reports on Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act. OP has also released selected statistics on children receiving SSI.

Most Popular Baby Names

Social Security has released its list of most popular baby names for 2005. The top 1,000 names for each gender are given as well as lists of the most popular names for each state. Here are the national top ten for each gender:

Boys:	Girls:
Jacob Michael Joshua Matthew Ethan Andrew Daniel Anthony Christopher Joseph	Emily Emma Madison Abigail Olivia Isabella Hannah Samantha Ava Ashley

New ALJs at Social Security

An anonymous source on the ALJ Improvement Board has posted the following list of new Administrative Law Judges recently hired by the Social Security Administration along with the offices where they will end up:

1. Mayaguez, PR McNamee-Alemany, John
2. San Juan, PR Grippo, Theodore
3. Ponce, PR Colon, Rafael
4. San Juan, PR Lebron, Roberto
5. Albany, NY Pickett, John
6. Buffalo, NY Trost, Timothy
7. Brooklyn, NY Weinberg, Maryellen
8. Newark, NJ Ferrie, Brian
9. Newark, NJ Krappa, Donna
10. Pittsburg, PA Cohen, Douglas
11. Birmingham, AL Lang, jerry
12. Florence, SC Digby, Patrick
13. Greenville, SC Swank, Drew
14. Charlotte, NC Jacobson, Todd
15. Charlotte, NC Hicks, Clinton
16. Atlanta, GA Auerbach, Larry
17. Atlanta, GA Cornick, Karen
18. Nashville, TN Graves, Carmen
19. Jackson, MS Schwartz, Phillip declined
20. Tupelo, MS Fraiser, John
21. Kingsport, TN Schwartzberg, Sherman
22. Jackson, MS Rose, Deborah
23. Tupelo, MS Davis, Harold
24. Evansville, IN Jacobs, George
25. Ft. Wayne, IN Miller, Terry
26. Detroit, MI D’Amato, Donald
27. Detroit, MI Roulhac, Roy
28. Columbus, OH Shailer, John
29. Evansville, IN Vaughn, Jacqueline
30. Peoria, IL Jordan, Alice
31. Milwaukee, WI Dombai, Les Nicholas
32. Lansing, MI Matulewicz, Dennis
33. Detroit, MI Neumann, David
34. Flint, MI Fina, Joel
35. Milwaukee, WI Moore, Ayrie
36. Albuquerque, NM Willner, Israel
37. Dallas, TX Shilling, Ralph
38. Shreveport, LA Haigler, Dave
39. Shreveport, LA Rodriguez, Leslie John
40. Kansas city, MO Cooke, Christine
41. Wichita, KS Werre, Edmund
42. Wichita, KS Burbank, Robert
43. Seattle, WA Sampson, Victor

Ticket to Work Newsletter

Maximus, the prime contractor for Social Security's Ticket to Work program, has released its Spring/Summer Ticket to Work Newsletter. At least they are no longer referring to it as the "Maximus Ticket to Work Program", as they did in the past, a name which suggested what many suspect, that the Ticket to Work program is mainly providing work for Maximus rather than Social Security disability recipients.