Is Social Security To Blame For Early Deaths?

     From Fox News:

Maria D. Fitzpatrick of Cornell University and Timothy J. Moore of the University of Melbourne said they analyzed the mortality rates in the U.S. and noticed that many older Americans – but disproportionally men who retire at 62 – are affected by sudden increased rates of death. ...

The numbers, according to the study, show that there is a two percent increase in male mortality at age 62 in the country. “Over the 34 years we studied, there were an additional 400 to 800 deaths per year beyond what we expected, or an additional 13,000 to 27,000 excess male deaths within 12 months of turning 62,” the professor said.

The researcher blames the increased mortality on the retirement as retirees tend to withdraw from life and no longer see the point in engaging. ...

     Many, many people apply for Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 not because they really want to retire but because they're too sick to keep working. They don't think of applying for disability benefits or they prefer to avoid the hassles of applying for disability benefits.

Man Indicted For Assault At Social Security Office

     From WHNS in Greenville, SC:

A 63-year-old was indicted by a grand jury after an assault at the Social Security Office in Greenville.

Kenneth David Sipple of Travelers Rest is charged with assaulting a federal employee in November.

According to the indictment filed on Wednesday, the victim, a contract employee of the Department of Homeland Security, was working as a guard at the office when Sipple struck him with "both open and closed hands."

The suspect is also accused of wrestling the guard, trying to take his firearm and then stabbing him in the earlobe with a ballpoint pen. ...

Eric Conn Disbarred

     Not that it really matters, but Eric Conn has officially been disbarred.

Preach!

     From Kathleen Romig of the Center on Budget and  Policy Priorities (CBPP):

The bipartisan agreement to raise the caps on discretionary spending in 2018 and 2019 reportedly calls for higher funding for the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) operating budget, which is starved for resources after years of cuts, to improve customer service. SSA’s budget shrank by 11 percent between 2010 and 2017, after adjusting for inflation — even as SSA’s workload grew as baby boomers reached their peak years for retirement and disability. When lawmakers write agency funding bills based on the agreement, they need to fulfill their commitment and provide SSA with a significant increase to undo the damage from those cuts.

One consequence of the cuts is that over 1 million people await a final decision on their application for Social Security Disability Insurance — after paying into Social Security their entire career — or their application for Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. They wait an average of nearly two years for decisions on their appeals, a record delay. ...

They Call This The Waterfall Chart

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Field Office Wait Times Go Up As Staffing Level Goes Down

     From a recent report by Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG):

Conn Can No Longer Represent Social Security Claimants

     Social Security decided on February 7, 2018 that one Eric Christopher Conn was disqualified from representing claimants before the agency.

Not That It Matters But Here's The President's FY 2019 Social Security Budget Proposal

     Below is a table from the President's budget proposal for the Social Security Administration's operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019). FY 2019 will begin on October 1, 2018. Note that this is a basically flat proposal, which means that it would be a budget cut when you consider inflation. That's why significant staffing cuts are predicted.

     However, because of the budget bill that was just approved, the President's entire FY 2019 budget is virtually meaningless. The budget bill that was just signed provides for significant budget increases for civilian agencies while the President's budget would call for cuts. The enacted budget bill governs. This budget proposal is nothing more than the pipe dream of Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, who is a noted budget hawk at least when it comes to civilian agencies.

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