Early Retirement And Disability

     From Kaiser Health News:

... Every year, tens of thousands of people who are disabled and unable to work consider taking early retirement benefits from Social Security. The underfunded federal disability system acknowledges that it is stymied by delays and dysfunction, even as over 1 million people await a decision on their benefits application.

The United States, which has one of the least generous disability programs among developed Western nations, denies most initial claims, leaving applicants to endure a lengthy appeals process. ...

"They don't have the luxury of waiting," said Charles T. Hall, a disability attorney based in Raleigh, North Carolina. "The vast majority of people need the money now, and you can get early retirement benefits in two months or less." ...

Most callers to the Social Security Administration are unable to reach an agent, and people seeking local field office assistance with an application can wait at least a month for an appointment ...

In a written statement, Social Security Administration spokesperson Darren Lutz acknowledged that wait times are "far too long," citing inconsistent and insufficient funding, staffing shortages, and other challenges. The agency refused to make officials available for a phone call to discuss the issue in more detail.

Caught in the tangle of dysfunction are disabled people with little or no income, who often take early retirement because they are struggling to pay for basics like housing, food, and medicine. In some cases, people end up homeless or die waiting for their disability benefits, lawyers told KFF Health News. ...

What Happens To Social Security If The Debt Ceiling Isn't Increased?

     The Biden Administration, as others before it, has said that if the debt ceiling isn't increased that there will be consequences for all recipients of federal funds. They have specifically warned that the systems used by the Department of the Treasury do not allow them to prioritize one type of payments over others. For instance, they cannot decide that they will pay Social Security benefits on time but delay payments to Defense Department contractors. I'm sure they're telling the truth. However, I'm also aware that they can generally delay payments for a period of time. That happens every month. I know because it's apparent to me that I receive little or no payments of attorney fees in the last few days routinely every month. I've written about this before and have received the response that Social Security is aware of the problem and that it affects claimants as well as attorneys but that it's nothing that the Social Security Administration is doing. It's the Department of the Treasury that holds up payments. My guess is that it has something to do with routine management of the federal debt. There's probably a lot of debt refinancing at the end of each month. That this happens tells me that their systems can hold up payments for a period of time. What else can the Treasury do if the debt ceiling isn't increased other than to delay payments? At the start, payments of Social Security benefits start showing up a day late. Payments of federal employee salaries show up a day late. Payments to Defense Department contractors show up a day late. That's for starters. The delays would increase with time.

    Anyway, that's my guess of what will happen but I don't know if Treasury's systems allow them to delay Wednesday's payments until Thursday and Thursday's payments until Friday, etc. Maybe they can hold up all payments for a time but cannot control which payments are released once they lift the hold.

    Of course, what I'm talking about would also mean delays in payments to federal bondholders which would put the U.S. into default with massive consequence for the economy but, who cares, being tough on Biden plays well on Fox News and that's all that really matters.

OHO Caseload Analysis Report

     Just released by Social Security (notice that it still refers to ODAR which hasn't been the correct name for several years now):

Click on image to view full size

A Pet Peeve

     There doesn't seem to be any Social Security news so far today so I'll tell you about a pet peeve. Does talking on a cell phone using earbuds cause people to talk very LOUD? I was at the NOSSCR conference last week. In the halls there were attendees talking directly into their cell phones, quietly. Those using earbuds broadcast their side of the call to everyone within 50 feet.

High Standards Required

     When I read that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received private extremely valuable considerations from those interested in the Court’s business, I am reminded of a Social Security Administrative Law Judge who got into trouble because a local attorney allowed the ALJ to park his boat on a vacant lot the attorney owned.

Shakeup At Social Security

  

SOCIAL SECURITY

MEMORANDUM

Date:​May 4, 2023​Refer To: S7A-4

To:​Senior Staff

 

From:​Kilolo Kijakazi /s/

​Acting Commissioner

 

Subject:​Executive Personnel Assignments - INFORMATION

 

I have several announcements.

 

In the Office of Transformation, Betsy Beaumon, currently the Senior Advisor for IT Modernization and Innovation, is the Chief Transformation Officer.  In addition to his role as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in the Office of Systems, Patrick Newbold will begin an assignment as the Deputy ChiefTransformation Officer. Kim Baldwin Sparks is the Customer Experience Officer.

 

In the Office of Operations, Michelle King, currently the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Office of Budget, Finance and Management (OBFM), will be the Deputy Commissioner forOperations. Linda Kerr-Davis, currently the Regional Commissioner (RC) for Kansas City, is the Acting ADC, Operations. Eric Skidmore, currently the ADC for the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs (OLCA) is the Acting ADC, Operations. Nancy Berryhill, currently a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Commissioner, will begin an assignment as a Senior Advisor to the DC for Operations.

 

Also in Operations, Tonya Freeman, currently the Deputy RC for the Kansas City Region, is the Acting RC, Kansas City.  In theAtlanta Region, Yelitza Sanchez-Garrido, currently the Deputy Assistant Regional Commissioner for Management and Operations Support (ARCMOS), will begin an assignment as the Acting ARCMOS.

 

In the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Eric Kressman, currently the Deputy General Counsel (DGC) (General Law),will be the Associate General Counsel (AGC) in the Office of Program Litigation (Office 6).  Jeff Blair, currently the AGC for Program Law, is retiring June 30, 2023.  I want to thank Jeff for his 42 years of outstanding service.  We will miss his tremendousinstitutional knowledge and we wish him good health in retirement. Mona Ahmed, currently the AGC for the Office of Program Litigation (Division 6), will be AGC for Program Law upon Jeff’s retirement.  Nancy Gonzalez, currently the AGC in the Office of General Law (OGL) (Office 4), is the AGC, OGL (Office 1). Sharese Reyes, currently the Deputy AGC, OGL (Office 4) will begin an assignment as the Acting AGC, OGL (Office 4).  We will release a solicitation of interest and vacancy announcement for the AGC, OGL (Office 4) position shortly.  

 

In OBFM, Chad Poist, currently the Associate Commissioner (AC) for Budget, will be the DC, OBFM.  Beth Chaney, currently the Deputy AC for the Office of Budget (OB), will be the AC, OB.

 

In the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy (ORDP), Erik Jones, currently the ADC in Operations, will begin an assignment as the Acting ADC, ORDP.

 

In the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO), Joe Lytle, who has been the Acting DC since August 2022, is the permanent DC, OHO.  Florence Felix-Lawson, who has been the Acting ADC (Mission Operations) since October 2022, is the permanent ADC(Mission Operations), OHO.  Terrie Gruber, who has been on assignment to the OC, is a permanent Senior Advisor in OC.

 

In the Office of Human Resources, Eddie Taylor is the Senior-Level Senior Agency Labor Strategy Expert.  Eddie will continue to serve as the Acting Deputy Associate Commissioner in the Office of Labor Management and Employee Relations, until a permanent incumbent is selected.  

 

Please join me in congratulating our colleagues.

You Ought To Get All Of These Right If You're A Social Security Employee

    Mass Mutual put together a Social Security quiz for those approaching retirement age. See how you do.

    True or False:

1. In most cases, if I take benefits before my full retirement age, they will be reduced for early filing.
2. If I am receiving benefits before my full retirement age and continue to work, my benefits might be reduced based on how much I make.
3. If I have a spouse, he or she can receive benefits from my record even if he or she has no individual earnings history.
4. Generally, if I am in a same-sex marriage, there are different eligibility requirements when it comes to Social Security retirement benefits.
5. If I have a spouse and he or she passes away, I will receive both my full benefit and my deceased spouse’s full benefit.
6. The money that comes out of my paycheck for Social Security goes into a specific account for me and remains there, earning interest, until I begin to receive Social Security benefits.
7. If I file for retirement benefits and have dependent children aged 18 or younger, they also may qualify for Social Security benefits.
8. If I get divorced, I might be able to collect Social Security benefits based on my ex-spouse’s Social Security earnings history.
9. Under current law, Social Security benefits could be reduced by 20% or more for everyone by 2035.
10. Under current Social Security law, full retirement age is 65 no matter when you were born.
11. If I delay taking Social Security benefits past the age of 70, I will continue to get delayed retirement credit increases each year I wait.
12. Social Security retirement benefits are subject to income tax just like withdrawals from a traditional IRA account.
13. I must be a U.S. citizen to collect Social Security retirement benefits.
    

    And the answers:

1. True (84% answered correctly)
2. True (77%)
3. True (72%)
4. False (69%)
5. False (65%)
6. False (60%)
7. True (56%)
8. True (56%)
9. True (55%)
10. False (53%)
11. False (49%)
12. False (38%)
13. False (29%)

Social Security Protests Continue In France

     From CNN:

Clashes erupted in Paris on Monday marking May 1, a traditional day of union-led marches, in the wake of hugely unpopular changes to France’s pension system that were signed into law last month.

A building caught fire at Place de la Nation as the French capital turned into a pitched battle between protesters and riot police.

Around 112,000 people took part in Monday’s protest in the French capital, said Paris Police. It is the second-highest turnout since demonstrations against pension reform began this year, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

A CNN team on the ground reported chaotic scenes from the protests, having witnessed fireworks and other projectiles thrown at the police who answered with tear gas as they retreated and regrouped. ...

Police charged at protesters under the cover of a water cannon and were confronted with a barrage of fireworks and stones torn from the square. ...

More than 100 policemen were injured in May Day protests, he added, including 19 in Paris with one policeman suffering serious burns from a molotov cocktail. ...