Post Piece On Social Security Draws Criticism

     A doom and gloom piece in the Washington Post about Social Security is drawing a lot of attention. R.J. Eskow has the most complete criticism of the piece. 

     If you think of the Washington Post as a left wing newspaper you are way behind the times or you are so far right that you think Fox News really is "fair and balanced."

Happy Halloween

NADE Newsletter

The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE), an organization of the personnel who make initial and reconsideration determinations on disability claims for the Social Security Administration, has released its Fall 2011 newsletter.

     The newsletter included the "Grading Daily Activities and Social Skills" table seen  above. This was handed out by Dr. Robert Brooks of California Disability Determination Services at a NADE event. I do not believe I have seen this before. Does this have even semi-official status?

Disability Claims Surging In Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Even suffering from neuropathy, arthritis, bone spurs and diabetes, Brenda Raines was determined to keep working as a secretary for a Douglasville hospital. Then she got laid off in 2009, and after six months of job searching she listened to family and friends and applied for Social Security Disability Insurance....

nitial claims in Georgia jumped from 86,973 in the 2008 fiscal year to 104,251 in 2009, and to 119,946 in the 2011 fiscal year, according to the Social Security Administration. Nationwide, the number of initial disability claims rose from about 2.6 million in the 2008 fiscal year to 3.16 million in the 2011 fiscal year.  

This, by the way, is another story planted by Allsup, as becomes clear in portions of the story I am not quoting.

ODAR Office Opens In Augusta, Georgia

Social Security has opened a new hearing office in Augusta, Georgia. It has 10 Administrative Law Judges and 50 administrative support personnel.

Hearing On SSI Child Benefits

     There was a hearing yesterday before the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Human Resources dealing with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for children. From the written submissions, it appears that the main focus was on the question of why more children are being approved due to mental impairments. Above is an interesting chart from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony at the hearing. As you notice the increase in allowances for various diagnoses, also notice the dramatic decline in allowances for mental retardation.

     Dr. Richard Burkhauser of Cornell University testified in favor of somehow giving the whole disabled children problem to the states. I don't think I would want to be a low income parent of a disabled child living in Texas if that happened.

     David Wittenburg testified on behalf of Mathematica, a major Social Security contractor, in favor of a study of adding educational and work requirements to SSI child benefits. Wow, a contractor that makes its living off doing useless, pointless studies for government agencies testifying in favor of a useless, pointless study. I didn't see that one coming!

     A child psychiatrist testified that SSI child's benefits for mental illness are given out as a result of fraud and actually hurt children. Reading her testimony, one has to wonder if she believes that children cannot suffer from serious mental illness. You can certainly argue that SSI children's benefits have their problems but her testimony is way over the top. There is not even a hint at the complexity involved. It's simple to the psychiatrist. It's 100% fraud. SSI children's benefits never help a child. They only hurt.

     Jonathan Stein also testified as the token defender of SSI child benefits.

Early Release Of SSI Checks Causes Problems

Social Security has just issued an Emergency Message to its staff concerning the early release of 27,000 checks for Supplemental Security Income. They were supposed to arrive on November 1 but were released on October 20. Social Security is telling recipients to hold the checks until November 1. If a recipient tries to cash the check and a bank makes marks on the check, the checks must be returned to Social Security. A replacement check will be issued in five to seven business days.

Protests Planned At Social Security Offices

     From WXIX:

Social Security advocates are planning to protest Thursday at Social Security offices around the county.

Thousands of American Federation of Government Employees Social Security employees, along with the Alliance for Retired Americans, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Strengthen Social Security Campaign are protesting recent proposals from Congress that would cut the Social Security Administration's operational budget.

      I think that WXIX is in Cincinnati but you cannot tell from their website. Why is it that media websites withhold this basic information?