Attorney Fee Payments For September

Social Security has released the September statistics on payments of fees to attorneys and others eligible for direct payment of fees for representing Social Security claimants. Payments were up 16% in September over August 2006 and up 30% over August 2005.

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-06	18,752	$64,848,326.02
Feb-06	20,426	$70,312.586.15
Mar-06	26,227	$91,045,934.83
Apr-06	23,042	$79,714,961.76
May-06	23,581	$82,015,869.29
June-06	27,771	$97,085,724.60
July-06	21,432	$74,648,883.83
August-06	24,579	$85,528,548.61
Sept-06	28,968	$99,124,616.47
Fee payments also include payments made to eligible non-attorneys participating in the demonstration project authorized by section 303 of the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-203).

"Disability Summit" Deadline Extended

There is a report that the deadline to apply to attend the "Disability Summit" sponsored by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel has been extended to October 13.

Sign Up For E-Mail Notification Of Attorney Fee Direct Deposits

With direct deposit of attorney fee scoming up soon, attorneys who represent Social Security claimants need to sign up for the Treasury Department's PAID system which gives e-mail notification of direct deposits from the federal government. The PAID system is already useful for EAJA direct deposits and will soon be essential for regular attorney fee direct deposits.

Beneficiary "Summit"

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel has scheduled a "beneficiary summit" for February 6 and 7 in Atlanta. The deadline to request to participate is October 6. The address to send an application to participate is , although one might also complain to them that they have done virtually nothing to publicize this. Apparently information about this "summit" was given only to a select group and not everyone who wants to attend this "summit" can attend. You have to be "selected" to attend. They may be paying travel expenses.

This sounds like a stage-managed event designed to make Ticket to Work look like something that it is not -- a success. It also sounds rather expensive.

NADR Announces Albuquerque Conference

The National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR) has announced its annual conference to be held in Albuquerque from March 25-28, 2007.

New Chief Of Information Security At SSA

GCN reports that John T. Smith has been hired as Chief Information Security officer for the Social Security Administration. He comes to Social Security from the Department of the Interior.

Federal Reserve Chairman Pushes Social Security "Reform"

Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, was pushing the idea of Social Security "reform" in a speech in Washington yesterday, according to McClatchy-Tribune. He urged action now so that the nation would not have to drastically cut benefits, cut other government spending or raise taxes later. Since it seems clear from the context of his remarks that he does not want any increase in taxes, either now or later, or any decrease in funding for other governmental activities, he must be calling for dramatic cuts in Social Security benefits.

Four Experienced SSA Employees Nearing Retirement

Dale Moss, writing in the Louisville Courier-Journal reports on Ellen McCoskey, Donna Whiteley, Carol Lanham and Betty Denbo, four Social Security employees in one field office, each nearing retirement after a career spanning 40 years.

The article notes that the office manager is begging the women to continue working and for good reason. The sad fact is that under current circumstances when these four women retire they will not be replaced. The loss of their experience would be unfortunate anyway, but when nothing replaces that experience, not even a new employee, some of the 150 people who come into that office every day seeking help may wait in the office all day and never be seen by a Social Security employee. How long will it be before people who need to do business with Social Security in person have to line up before daybreak outside Social Security offices, as is often the case already with Immigration and Naturalization offices?