Britain To Throw One Million Off Social Security Disability Benefits

From The Guardian:

Radical changes to the social security system aimed at saving billions of pounds in incapacity and housing benefit payments were announced yesterday by John Hutton, the work and pensions secretary.

The government's welfare reform bill, published yesterday, aims to take 1 million of the 2.7 million claimants off incapacity benefit by replacing it with a new two-tier employment allowance to encourage people back to work. Higher rates will be paid to those who genuinely cannot work, lower rates to those refusing to be reassessed for a job.

All It Would Take Would Be 60 Republican Senators

Major Republican party strategist Grover Norquist speaking at a meeting last week:

I believe that when there are 60 Republican senators we will move Social Security from the present Ponzi scheme to a fully funded, individually held system.

Disability Specialist, Inc.

The Timberjay News reports on Disability Specialists, Inc., a Minnesota non-attorney group that represents Social Security claimants. In 18 years the firm has grown from a closet in Tom Ehrbright's house to a business that now employs 18 people.

Collecting Overpayments From Federal Salaries

Social Security has adopted new regulations on collecting overpayments made to federal employees by offsetting the employees' salaries.

Additional CLE

August 1, 2006, Massachusetts Legal Services CLE, Boston, MA

Interesting Database Online

Maximus, the prime contractor for the Ticket to Work Program, has an interesting database service available online. With the service, you can see exactly how many Social Security disability benefits recipients there are per zip code per diagnostic category.

Delays in Child Support and Alimony Checks

Social Security has issued an emergency message stating that 23,000 child support and alimony checks that were supposed to have been released today (July 3) have been delayed. They should now be received by July 12. Child support and alimony can be paid out of Social Security benefits under court orders.

Upcoming Meetings and CLE

• July 10, 2006 National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives and Disability Law Center Disability Service Improvement Training, Boston, MA
  
• July 12, 2006 Social Security Advisory Board meeting, Washington, DC
  
• July 14, 2006 Minnesota Legal Services Coalition CLE, Somewhere in Minnesota, but the sponsor did not bother to give the information
  
• July 18, 2006 ATLA Social Security Disability Section and Health Care and Disability Litigation Group CLE program, Seattle, WA
• July 27, 2006, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys Telephonic Staff Training Program
  
• August 4-5, Philadelphia Regional Management Association Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA
  
• August 10-11, 2006 Retirement Research Consortium, Washington, DC
• August 9-11, 2006 8th Circuit Social Security CLE, Omaha, NE
• September 8, 2006 Louisiana State Bar CLE, New Orleans, LA
• september 11-13, 2006 NADE Regional Training Conference, Jefferson City, MO
  
• September 16-21, 2006 National Association of Disability Examiners, San Diego, CA
  
• October 11-14, 2006 National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) CLE, Phoenix, AZ
• October 16-19, 2006 National Council of Social Security Management Association Meeting, Milwaukee, WI
• May 20-23, 2007, National Association of Disability Examiners Meeting, Stowe, VE
  

If you know of others, please e-mail me.