Already Behind?

The Disability Service Improvement plan begins on August 1. The most important element of this plan is the Reviewing Official (RO) position. There is an unconfirmed report that the first ROs will start work on August 7 and will then begin a two month training period. If this is true, it means that once the ROs finish training and start their actual jobs they will be greeted by a large backlog. There has been concern from the beginning that the RO position will dramatically reduce the backlog of claimants waiting for ALJ hearings, by creating a huge backlog of claimants waiting for RO review.

SSAB To Hold "Public Discussion" on July 19

The Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) has scheduled a "public discussion" on July 19 in Washington on the U.S. disability "system". The Board's press release says that it has been looking at recommendations for a new "system" that "maximizes economic self-sufficiency at a reasonable standard of living." The press release talks at some length about aspects of a "system" which seems completely geared towards encouraging disabled people to return to work, which may be much more controversial in practice than it sounds. A similar approach is taken by insurance companies administering long term disability insurance plans -- and the encouragement to return to work often takes the form of terminating benefits. What may be a similar plan in Britain is predicted to throw one million people off their Social Security disability benefit program.

Martin Gerry To Speak At ADA Conference

Martin Gerry, who is, in effect, the number two man at Social Security, will be speaking on July 26 at the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Town Hall Meeting in Washington, sponsored by the National Council on Disability.

Fraud in Jacksonville

WPMI reports that in separate cases two Jacksonville, FL women have been charged with fraud for cashing the Social Security checks of their deceased mothers.

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.