There's really nothing newsworthy going on at Social Security so let's have a poll. I'll take suggestions for other polls -- or news.
Aug 26, 2022
A Poll For A Slow Day
Aug 24, 2022
No Dice For Disability Determination Patent Application
Aug 23, 2022
Gruber Out At OHO
I can confirm that Theresa Gruber is out as head of Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations (OHO).
Status Of Theresa Gruber?
On July 12, the Washington Post published an article saying that Social Security's Deputy Commissioner for Hearings Operations, Theresa Gruber, was routinely displaying signs of impairment on the job. The agency's Office of Inspector General was investigating.
We've heard nothing more since.
My assumption was that Gruber would go on leave and then retire or be quietly shifted to a less visible position but nothing has been announced.
Just today, I've seen an unconfirmed report that Gruber is out of her job.
Anyone know what, if anything, is going on?
Aug 22, 2022
Why Not Do This?
From the Office of Evaluation Sciences:
… Survey data from the National Institutes of Health-supported Health and Retirement Study suggest that less than 60 percent of individuals age 65 or older who may be eligible for SSI receive the benefit, and administrative data from SSA suggest that uptake may be substantially lower.
SSA identified over 4 million individuals age 65-80 who were potentially eligible for SSI, and sent one of four letter variations to a sub-sample of them. …Individuals were randomly assigned to receive one of four letter types or to a control condition (i.e., no targeted information about potential SSI eligibility): (1) a basic letter; (2) a letter which states the maximum benefit; (3) a letter which states that applying is simple; (4) a letter combining the maximum benefit element and the “applying is simple” element. SSA sent 100,000 of each letter variation. …Of beneficiaries who received a letter, 6.0 percent applied for SSI in the nine months after the letters were sent out, compared with 1.0 percent of beneficiaries who did not receive a letter. Similarly, 2.3 percent of beneficiaries who received a letter were awarded SSI during this time, compared with 0.5 percent of beneficiaries who did not receive a letter, an increase of 340%.
Why not do this? I'll answer my own question. Social Security can't handle the caseload it has now, much less a big jump in SSI claims.
Aug 20, 2022
And He's Up For Re-Election This Year!
Aug 19, 2022
9.6% COLA?
The Senior Citizens League is now estimating that Social Security's cost of living adjustment for this year will be 9.6%.