Dec 31, 2013

Does This Tell Us Anything Useful?

     The abstract of a Working Paper issued by Yonathan Ben-Shalom and Arif A. Mamun of Mathematica Policy Research, a big contractor for Social Security:
We follow a sample of working-age Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) program beneficiaries for five years after their first benefit award to learn how certain factors help or hinder achievement of four return-to-work milestones: (1) enrollment for employment services provided by a state vocational rehabilitation agency or employment network, (2) start of trial work period (TWP), (3) completion of TWP, and (4) suspension or termination of benefits because of work. We find that younger beneficiaries are more likely than older beneficiaries to achieve the milestones and that substantial variation exists across impairment types. In addition, black beneficiaries and beneficiaries with higher levels of education have a greater probability of achieving the milestones, everything else equal. Also, such achievement is more probable if state unemployment is low at the time of the award. The probability of achieving the milestones is reduced by having a higher DI benefit amount at award, an award decision made at a higher adjudicative level, and by receiving Supplemental Security Income or Medicare benefits at the time of DI award. Finally, we find large variation in the relationships between state of residence and return-to-work outcomes and between award month and return-to-work outcomes. We attribute these variations to unobserved factors at the state level, policy changes over time, and trends in unobserved beneficiary characteristics.

Dec 30, 2013

Nice Try

     There's a new meme coming from the right. Sure, we ought to increase Social Security benefits, but only for the poor. We'll do it by means testing Social Security. Andrew Biggs started this but others are chiming in. I think it's a good idea to remind everyone that Social Security will not change in any fundamental way until one very determined party completely dominates the White House and the Congress. That's not coming anytime soon. Even if the Republicans did dominate the White House and the Congress I'd be amazed if they attempted this. If they did, they wouldn't control the White House and the Congress much longer.

Dec 29, 2013

The Last Drop

    Sue Regan died on November 5. The U.S. Treasury made a direct deposit to Ms. Regan's account at a credit union for one month's Social Security benefits on November 13. The money was supposed to have been paid since it was for October when Ms. Regan was still alive. However, the credit union made a mistake and sent the money back to the Treasury. A Dallas television station reports that this is a mistake commonly made by overly eager financial institutions. How long will it take for Ms. Regan's family to get the money back? How often do families fail to recognize the mistake? How often does Social Security or the Treasury correct this sort of mistake without prompting?

Dec 28, 2013

Social Security Employee Arrested For Routing Benefits To His Bank Account

     The Associated Press reports that Tabaris Archie Brown, an employee at a Social Security "telephone center" has been indicted on 14 counts of identity theft, theft of government property and wire fraud for changing records to route the Social Security benefits of 11 people into an account he controlled. The report comes from Birmingham, Alabama. My guess is that he worked at the Program Service Center in Birmingham but is there a teleservice center in Birmingham as well?

Dec 27, 2013

Better Than Living In A Tent

     Social Security disability benefits allows one man to move out of his tent and into a warm apartment.

I'm Getting Whiplash From Reading Froma Harrop

    Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop writes that the proposals to increase Social Security benefits are a refreshing sign that Social Security's political problems are receding into the past. That's a great observation. However, Harrop is also the author of a piece earlier this year which said that able bodied people were scamming Social Security disability to get on benefits for colds! That was the single worst Social Security opinion piece I've seen this year.
     I don't expect complete consistency from anyone. In fact, complete consistency is the sign of a person with a closed mind but this is just ridiculous. If you think it's important to keep Social Security strong, you don't go around spreading ridiculous lies about its disability programs.

Six Big Changes Coming To Social Security Disability

     Damian Palleta has a triumphalist article in the Wall Street Journal or maybe just his personal blog -- it's hard to tell online -- about six changes that the Social Security Administration is undertaking to tighten up its disability program because of articles he has written. One could argue about about which of these may actually come to pass or mean anything but one cannot argue about the fact that Palleta is confused. The first change he lists is to what he refers to as the "Listings" but he is talking about updating the agency's vocational information system. The second change he lists is to the grid regulations but he does not specify what change he is talking about. I'm pretty sure no such change is in the works.
     Update: And there's another WSJ piece on the change in the Administrative Law Judge job description.

New Allegations In Conn Lawsuit

     The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, WV, is reporting that the plaintiffs in the qui tam lawsuit against Eric Conn are now alleging that Conn paid cash to Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) David Daugherty in exchange for favorable decisions in his clients' Social Security disability claims. Remember, folks, these are allegations which may or may not be true. I can allege that there are planets that are solid diamonds. That may or may not be true but my alleging it doesn't make it true.