Witnesses For House Social Security Subcommittee Hearing

The House Social Security Subcommittee has announced the following witness list for its hearing on June 21 on "Protecting the Privacy of the Social Security Number from Identity Theft":

The Honorable Ed Markey, a Representative in Congress from the State of Massachusetts

The Honorable Patrick O’Carroll, Inspector General, Social Security Administration

Joel Winston, Director, Division of Privacy and Information Protection, Federal Trade Commission

Dan Bertoni, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office

Justin Yurek, President, ID Watchdog, Denver, Colorado<

Stuart Pratt, President, Consumer Data Industry Association

James D. Gingerich, Director, Administrative Office of the Courts, Supreme Court of Arkansas, on behalf of the National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg, Virginia

Annie I. Antón, Associate Professor of Software Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, on behalf of the Association for Computing Machinery

Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center

Gilbert T. Schwartz, Partner, Schwartz & Ballen LLP, on behalf of the Financial Services Coordinating Council

Amazing Claim

From the Senior Journal:

The immigration bill being debated by the Senate would allow over two million illegal workers who received Social Security numbers prior to 2004 to receive more than $966 billion in Social Security benefits by 2040, according to the TREA Senior Citizens League.

How did they come up with that figure, which is almost half a million dollars per illegal immigrant? And how much will those illegal immigrants pay into the Social Security trust funds? There are probably many good reasons to support or oppose this immigration bill, but its effects on the Social Security trust funds is not one of them.

Sacramento Woman Accused Of Fraud

The Sacramento Bee reports that Valerie Jean Rogers has been charged with submitting false information to obtain almost $35,000 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) over seven years.

No HALLEX Update In A Year

I do not know what this means, perhaps nothing, but Social Security's Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law Manual, known as HALLEX has not been updated in more than a year. Actually, there was a trivial update in January 2007, but it was so minor that it is not even listed as an update. Perhaps, it is just a sign of a hiatus in policy development with Commissioner Barnhart heading out the door and Commissioner Astrue still trying to get up to speed.

Ripoff Artists

Take a look at this scam and this one. I will save some folks the money. Here is the same thing for free.

Another Field Office To Close

Social Security is closing its Slidell, Lousiana field office, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune.

Customer Service Report Card Coming For Social Security?

From Government Executive magazine:

Legislation that would prod government agencies to be more consumer-driven with an annual review was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Tuesday.

The measure (H.R. 404), approved on a voice vote, would establish a report card system to gauge customer service performance at each agency. Federal agency leaders would be responsible for gathering data using surveys and focus groups, which would then be submitted to and evaluated by the Government Accountability Office.

The head of each federal agency would also have to appoint a customer service representative to implement standards and oversee progress, according to language in the bill.

Listings Extended

Today's Federal Register contains a notice from the Social Security Administration extending until July 1, 2008 the effective date of the Listings for eight body systems. Commissioner Astrue has indicated that he intends to work hard on the Listings, which may explain the short extension time.

We are still awaiting the major changes in the mental impairment Listings promised recently by Glenn Sklar.