Thanksgiving 2024

 

Why It Takes Longer To Get A Disability Determination

     From a recently released report. Click on image to view full size. The full report breaks it down by state and region.

A Poll

 

online polls

New Acquiescence Ruling

     Social Security has issued Acquiescence Ruling 24-1(6) on Dennard v. Secretary of Health & Human Services and Drummond v. Commissioner of Social Security, two old Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decisions.

New Overpayment Waiver Policies

     From a new issuance to Social Security's POMS manual:

Household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and limited resources

We will also waive the overpayment under the deemed to defeat the purpose provision, if the overpaid individual's and their household family member's income is at or below 150 percent of the FPL [Federal Poverty Level]; and their resources are within the limit for defeats the purpose, refer to GN 02250.100E. We assume that an individual who meets the resource limit and has a household income of 150 percent of the FPL needs substantially all of their income to meet all of their current ordinary necessary living expenses, so there is no need to review their expenses.   

     And from another new POMS issuance referenced above:

To determine recovery of an overpayment defeats the purpose (meaning the individual doesn't have the ability to repay), we must find that:

• The overpaid individual needs substantially all of their current income to meet their current ordinary and necessary living expenses (i.e., the monthly household income does not exceed monthly current ordinary and necessary living expenses by more than $250), per GN 02250.100C and GN 02250.100D; and
• The overpaid individual has no more than $6,000 in resources or $10,000 if the individual has one other household family member. If the individual has more than one other household family member, add $1,200 for each additional household family member to their resource limit, per GN 02250.100E.

Will We Ever See A New Occupational Information System?

     It may give no answers relevant to Social Security disability determination but this recent release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is interesting. It looks like they could tell us whether there are sedentary unskilled jobs if they wanted to. Why not? Why can't we get a completely new Occupational Information System? No one is satisfied with what we have now.

     At what point is the continued use of the ancient Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) litigated? The only thing restraining Social Security attorneys from litigating has been the fear of what might replace the DOT. 

Carolyn Colvin To Be ACOSS

 

    The National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) is reporting that Carolyn Colvin will once again serve as Acting Commissioner Of Social Security (ACOSS). She had served previously in that role from 2013-17.

    Of course, the incoming Trump Administration can designate someone else for the acting position or can quickly nominate someone to be the confirmed Commissioner of Social Security.

    Also, of course, Colvin isn't obligated to hang around if she is ordered to make layoffs that would have a disastrous effect on the agency.

Telework Thread

     I'm tired of deleting comments from readers who try to post their views about telework in response to every post I make, whether telework is relevant to what I posted or not. So, here is a post about telework. I don't have anything to say about it. Unlike most of my readers I don't have strong feelings about it. I just want to let readers speak their minds about telework. Have at it. Make endless, tedious, pointless comments if you want and let the comments on the other posts be about those posts.