Hearing Office Processing Time Report

Hearing Office Processing Time Report September 13, 2011

Former Social Security Employee To Be Sentenced

From the Gadsden (AL) Times:

A January sentencing date has been set for a former Social Security Administration employee who pleaded guilty to sending a white, powdery substance to two of her supervisors in 2009, according to federal court documents.

Michelle Holladay Ryder, 43, signed a plea agreement on Oct. 4 admitting that she mailed two letters from the Boaz Post Office that contained non-dairy creamer and included handwritten notes with derogatory remarks to two of her supervisors. ...

At the time the letters were mailed, Ryder worked at the Albertville Social Security office.

Susan Brown To Move To New Job In Seattle

I understand that Susan Brown, who has been in charge of Social Security's project to give attorneys and others who represent Social Security claimants online access to their clients' files,  will soon be moving to a different job. She will be the Regional Management Officer in the Seattle Region.

Quiz Answer

Question: Which of the following COUNTS as income for purposes of computing SSI benefits?

Possible Answers:

• The first $20 of most income received in a month;
• Income tax refunds
• Home energy assistance
• Assistance based on need funded by a State or local government
• Cash received as gifts from friends and family
• Small amounts of income received irregularly or infrequently
• Food or shelter based on need provided by a nonprofit agency

Correct answer: Cash received as gifts from friends and family

The Advocator Group Takes On The Hard Cases

This is from a press release:

You’re disabled, you’re not getting benefits, and you wonder if you’re entitled. But you’re also afraid of interacting with a federal bureaucracy, a paper intensive process, and giving one wrong answer that could disqualify you from benefits. You’re why The Advocator Group released Disability Answers, a free mobile app that tells disabled Americans whether they’ll qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Medicare. 

Try working through it. The big question is whether you have one of the 100 conditions on the compassionate allowances list. By the way, isn't that name, Advocator Group, lovely?

Update: The Washington Post has picked up on this press release. By the way, for anyone who can't figure it out, "Takes On The Hard Cases" is written sarcastically. The Advocator Group is only seeking cases that will be approved immediately with or without their help, the kind of case I don't take on because I don't want to rip off anyone, especially someone who is desperately ill.

Quiz

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

Michael Astrue And Rare Diseases

Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue is scheduled to speak this week at first U.S. Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Products. Astrue became involved with this cause while working in  the biotechnology industry and has continued to be interested as Social Security Commisioner. Much of his "compassionate allowances" list is composed of rare diseases or conditions. "Orphan products" are those which may not vital to a small group of people suffering from a rare disease but which are not economically feasible to develop or manufacture without special incentives.

Updated Fee Payment Stats

Updated data on payments of fees to attorneys and others for representing Social Security claimants.

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-11	34,467	$113,459,847.04
Feb-11	33,305	$107,796,771.38
Mar-11	34,885	$112,463,768.46
Apr-11	48,033	$153,893,755.37
May-11	36,479	$115,159012.77
June-11	33,568	$104,782,743.07
July-11	40,451	$123,981,011.36
Aug-11	35,575	$109,778,785.74
Sept-11	36,159	$109,990,042.36