OHO Receipts And Backlog Continue To Fall

       This was obtained from Social Security by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) and published in its newsletter, which is not available online to non-members. It is basic operating statistics for Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations.

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What Happened To The SSA-4547 Form?

      I learned from the newsletter of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) that there is a form for making an Advance Designation of Representative Payee, the form SSA-4547. Perhaps I should say that that such a form may have once existed or that it still exists in some state of limbo. We know the agency created the form. Social Security's manual makes reference to the form. NOSSCR has a copy of the form. However, the form doesn't appear on the agency's list of forms. You can't find a copy online. It's certainly not in use. 

     So, what happened to that form? I might have some clients who could use it. I think others would too. For that matter I could possibly use it personally. I'm sure that Social Security has a staff tasked with creating and maintaining the forms needed to run the agency and they must know what happened to SSA-4547.

1.3% COLA

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Attacks On Chief Actuary Continue

Stephen Goss

     Senator Grassley, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is continuing his attacks on Stephen Goss, Social Security's Chief Actuary. Goss had the temerity to do his job and give truthful answers to hypothetical questions about a possible policy alternative. The President had proposed doing away with the F.I.C.A. tax that supports the Social Security trust funds and had proposed no replacement. Goss was asked what would be the result. Of course, he answered that the trust funds would quickly run out of money. What is Goss supposed to do -- refuse to answer the question because it would make Trump look bad? Goss's answer isn't the problem. The problem is what the President said.

     If Trump loses, I fear that there will be major acts of retribution before Inauguration Day. I hope that Goss is not at risk.

Biden Social Security Plan

      I had earlier posted Joe Biden’s plan for Social Security disability benefits. Here’s his plan for Social Security retirement benefits:

• Put Social Security on a path to long-run solvency. ... The Biden Plan will put the program on a path to long-term solvency by asking Americans with especially high wages to pay the same taxes on those earnings that middle-class families pay. ...
• Provide a higher benefit for the oldest Americans. At advanced ages, Americans become more vulnerable to exhausting their savings, sometimes falling into poverty and living a life of hardship. The Biden Plan will provide the oldest beneficiaries – those who have been receiving retirement benefits for at least 20 years – with a higher monthly check to help protect retirees from the pain of dwindling retirement savings. 
• Implement a true minimum benefit for lifelong workers. ... Under the Biden Plan, workers who spent 30 years working will get a benefit of at least 125% of the poverty level. 
• Protect widows and widowers from steep cuts in benefits. ... The Biden Plan will allow surviving spouse to keep a higher share of the benefits. This will make an appreciable difference in the finances of older Americans, especially women (who live longer on average than men), raising the monthly payment by about 20% for affected beneficiaries. 
• Eliminate penalties for teachers and other public-sector workers. Current rules penalize teachers and other public sector workers who either switch jobs or who have earned retirement benefits from various sources. The Biden Plan would eliminate these penalties by ensuring that teachers not eligible for Social Security will begin receiving benefits sooner – rather than the current ten-year period for many teachers. The Biden Plan will also get rid of the benefit cuts for workers and surviving beneficiaries who happen to be covered by both Social Security and another pension. These workers deserve the benefits they earned. 
•      I don’t think that Donald Trump has any coherent plan for Social Security other than to end the F.I.C.A. tax.
  

Would You Take A Covid-19 Vaccine?

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NADE Newsletter

     The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE), a voluntary organization of personnel involved in making initial and reconsideration determinations on Social Security disability claims, has released its most recent newsletter. One thing I noticed is that it says that the Disability Case Processing System (DCPS), a set of software programs, is now "official" even though it has not yet been rolled out at every Disability Determination Service. DCPS has been controversial. I hope   they've got the bugs out of the system.

Guilty Plea In White Powder Case

      From a press release:

Jason Pantone, age 34, of Hyde Park, New York, pled guilty today to conveying false information and hoax letters in connection with envelopes containing white powder he mailed to federal offices throughout Upstate and Central New York, and the Southern Tier. ...

As part of his guilty plea, Pantone admitted that beginning on February 21, 2019 and until his arrest on February 27, 2019, he mailed envelopes containing white power to Social Security Administration offices in Binghamton, Plattsburgh and Utica, New York.  He also mailed white powder letters addressed to the United States District Court in Syracuse, Binghamton, Albany, Plattsburgh, and Utica.  Each of the envelopes contained a typed note, which read “ANTHRAX.”  Some of the letters included a smiley face with X’s in place of the eyes.  All samples of the white powder were tested and yielded negative results for anthrax or other hazardous material. ...