The Last Drop

    Sue Regan died on November 5. The U.S. Treasury made a direct deposit to Ms. Regan's account at a credit union for one month's Social Security benefits on November 13. The money was supposed to have been paid since it was for October when Ms. Regan was still alive. However, the credit union made a mistake and sent the money back to the Treasury. A Dallas television station reports that this is a mistake commonly made by overly eager financial institutions. How long will it take for Ms. Regan's family to get the money back? How often do families fail to recognize the mistake? How often does Social Security or the Treasury correct this sort of mistake without prompting?

Social Security Employee Arrested For Routing Benefits To His Bank Account

     The Associated Press reports that Tabaris Archie Brown, an employee at a Social Security "telephone center" has been indicted on 14 counts of identity theft, theft of government property and wire fraud for changing records to route the Social Security benefits of 11 people into an account he controlled. The report comes from Birmingham, Alabama. My guess is that he worked at the Program Service Center in Birmingham but is there a teleservice center in Birmingham as well?

Better Than Living In A Tent

     Social Security disability benefits allows one man to move out of his tent and into a warm apartment.

I'm Getting Whiplash From Reading Froma Harrop

    Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop writes that the proposals to increase Social Security benefits are a refreshing sign that Social Security's political problems are receding into the past. That's a great observation. However, Harrop is also the author of a piece earlier this year which said that able bodied people were scamming Social Security disability to get on benefits for colds! That was the single worst Social Security opinion piece I've seen this year.

     I don't expect complete consistency from anyone. In fact, complete consistency is the sign of a person with a closed mind but this is just ridiculous. If you think it's important to keep Social Security strong, you don't go around spreading ridiculous lies about its disability programs.

Six Big Changes Coming To Social Security Disability

     Damian Palleta has a triumphalist article in the Wall Street Journal or maybe just his personal blog -- it's hard to tell online -- about six changes that the Social Security Administration is undertaking to tighten up its disability program because of articles he has written. One could argue about about which of these may actually come to pass or mean anything but one cannot argue about the fact that Palleta is confused. The first change he lists is to what he refers to as the "Listings" but he is talking about updating the agency's vocational information system. The second change he lists is to the grid regulations but he does not specify what change he is talking about. I'm pretty sure no such change is in the works.
     Update: And there's another WSJ piece on the change in the Administrative Law Judge job description.

New Allegations In Conn Lawsuit

     The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, WV, is reporting that the plaintiffs in the qui tam lawsuit against Eric Conn are now alleging that Conn paid cash to Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) David Daugherty in exchange for favorable decisions in his clients' Social Security disability claims. Remember, folks, these are allegations which may or may not be true. I can allege that there are planets that are solid diamonds. That may or may not be true but my alleging it doesn't make it true.

The Death Master File Is Really Wonky But Still Interesting

     The American Thinker gives lots of background on Social Security's Death Master File (DMF). Did you know that Ronald Perholst, who was at one time the Postal Service's General Manager of Accounting, led the fight to make the DMF public? Did you know that the DMF is especially important to Native Hawaiians and Ashkenazi Jewish women?

Social Security Calls This The Waterfall Chart

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