Astrue Resigns From ArQule

In a display of confidence that he will be confirmed Michael Astrue, President Bush's nominee for Commissioner of Social Security, has resigned from the board of directors of ArQule, Inc, a Boston area biotech company.

Social Security Rewards A Jail

The Birmingham News reports on Social Security's program to reward jails which report incarcerated SSI recipients. The reward is $400 per inmate if the report comes within 30 days after the imprisonment and $200 for reports from 31 to 90 days after imprisonment. Sound like small potatoes? It amounted to $228,000 to Jefferson County, Alabama over the last four years.

Three Members Of Family Indicted For Social Security Fraud

Three members of a Missouri family have been indicted for concealing a 1997 death in order to collect the man's Social Security benefits, according to a KSHB article. The allegation is that the man's body was secretly buried on the family farm.

Big Fraud Ring Alleged In Wisconsin

The La Crosse Tribune reports on charges brought against 19 people for fraud against the Social Security Administration. The alleged fraud happened at several Social Security offices in Wisconsin. Authorities allege that the defendants filed false claims that Social Security checks had been lost or stolen. Those involved are said to have cashed both the original check and the replacement check. There may have been more than 1,000 illegal transactions.

COLA Announced

The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security for this year is 3.3%, according to the Associated Press.

New Regs On Rep Payees And Penalties

Today's Federal Register contains new final regulations from Social Security on represetative payee policies and penalties for false or misleading statements or withholding information. These regulations have been relatively uncontroversial.

Work Incentives Planning And Assistance Projects

From today's Federal Register:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announces its intention to competitively award cooperative agreements to establish community-based work incentives planning and assistance projects in thefollowing locations:

• State of Alabama, the counties of Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Washington, and Wilcox;
• State of Indiana, the counties of Clark, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Dubois, Floyd, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Sullivan, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warrick, Washington;
• State of Kentucky, the counties of Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Breathitt, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Madison, Magoffin,
• State of Ohio, the counties of Ashtabula, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, Martin, Mason, McCreary, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Whitley, and Wolfe;
• State of Nevada, all counties;
• State of New York, the counties of Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester; Summit, and Trumbull; and
• Pacific territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, andAmerican Samoa.

New Rules On Suspending Benefits For Failure To Cooperate

Social Security has published final rules on suspension of disability benefits for failure to cooperate with a continuing disability review.