Happy Labor Day!

Christian Science Monitor On Disability Trust Fund

     The Christian Science Monitor is running a rather generic article quoting a couple of right wing sources who argue that the Disability Insurance Trust fund is running out of money and that something must be done soon.

     The Christian Science Monitor certainly has a distinguished history but does it still have any influence? Who reads it other than the obvious, Christian Scientist, a fairly small group?

COLA To Be 1.5%?

     The Congressional Budget Office is estimating that Social Security's Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) for this year will be 1.5%.

IG Catches Alleged Murderer

     From the Albuquerque Journal:

The son of an 88-year-old New Mexico man has admitted killing his father and dismembering the body on the floor of his bedroom with an electric tree trimming chain saw, authorities said.

Carlsbad police said Steven Michael Allumbaugh, 62, recently told investigators that he struck his father, Thomas Luther Allumbaugh, during an argument in January 2012 and he fell against a metal chair in a shower.

According to a criminal complaint, Allumbaugh then dismembered the body and buried it in his backyard to conceal the death. The complaint also says he hid the death for a year so that he could continue withdrawing his father’s Social Security retirement funds.

The younger Allumbaugh, was arrested Aug. 7 following an investigation by the Social Security Administration, the Office of the Inspector General said. ...

Advance Notice On Hearing Listings

     Social Security is giving advance notice that it is reviewing its Listings for hearing loss and disturbances of labyrinthine-lestibular function. No change is announced, just the opportunity to comment on whether and how the listings should be changed. If any change is to be made, Social Security would first publish the proposed changes and allow comments on them. 

     My experience is that anyone even approaching meeting the listing for hearing loss is just about stone deaf. Interviewing a claimant who is that deaf is quite difficult. I've had employees in my office wonder why I was in my office yelling at a client. By the way, hearing aids help only so much. If a person has nerve deafness, a hearing aid helps little. It just increases the volume of unintelligible sound.

Batting Next, Social Security

     The I.R.S has announced that same sex couples who were married in a jurisdiction that recognizes same sex marriages may file joint returns even if they live in a state that refuses to recognize same sex marriages solemnized in other states. This leaves Social Security as, by far, the most important agency where this issue remains unresolved.

Getting Harder, Not Easier

     From Disabled Worker Allowance Rates: Variation Under Changing Economic Conditions, Actuarial Note 153 issued by the Office of Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration.

     You can make of this what you will but anyone who says it's been getting easier to get Social Security disability benefits doesn't know what he or she is talking about. In truth, it's become significantly more difficult over the last decade.

Don't Even Think About It

     From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Federal employee and Conyers, Ga., resident Cordell Fleming pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to extorting money from people due Social Security benefits. ...

Fleming offered to “expedite” the processing time of SSI payments to SSI beneficiaries and SSI beneficiary payees in exchange for a fee. In an attempt to make the expedited SSI payments appear legitimate, Fleming frequently created false documents that purportedly justified the expedited disbursement of SSI payments.

During the course of the scheme from October 2012 to April 2013, Fleming extorted and attempted to extort money (in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,800) from at least nine SSI beneficiaries or their representative payees. ...