Social Security Statement Online Hits
May 14, 2012Within the first week of the launch of online Social Security statements, more than 130,000 people created online accounts to access their individual information, according to the Social Security Administration.
Michael J. As true, commission of Social Security released a statement on May 7, on how pleased he is with the public’s initial response.
“Our new online Statement is simple and easy-to-use, and the initial satisfaction scores from users prove it,” he said. “According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, users are giving the online Statement a score of 89, making it competitive with our other top-rated, best-in-government online services.”
The statements provide estimates for retirement, disability and survivors’ benefits, and also provide a way for workers to determine whether their earnings are accurately posted to their Social Security records (benefits are based on average earnings over a person’s lifetime).
Of course, Social Security disability lawyer or a Social Security disability attorney can help those seeking disability benefits navigate the complex, time-consuming process. Obtaining online account information, however, is relatively simple. To access the online statement, people must first create a “my Social Security” account on the SSA site. After that, statements can be viewed at any time.
This account will be used to access the online statement, as well as links to information about other online services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare.
Paper Social Security statements will be mailed to those 60 and older who are not already receiving Social Security benefits. Later this year, the SSA plans to mail paper statements to workers in the year they turn 25.
For more information about the new online statement, visit http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement/
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Online version of Social Security statements is now available
May 7, 2012An online version of Social Security statements is now available.
These new statements, according to the Social Security Administration, provide eligible workers “with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information.”
To access the online statement, people must first create a “my Social Security” account on the SSA site. After that, statements can be viewed at any time.
“Our new online Social Security Statement is simple, easy-to-use and provides people with estimates they can use to plan for their retirement,” said Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of Social Security. “The online statement also provides estimates for disability and survivors benefits, making the statement an important financial planning tool. People should get in the habit of checking their online Statement each year, around their birthday, for example.”
Because Social Security benefits are based on average earnings over a worker’s lifetime, it’s important that earnings information is accurate. The online statement gives workers a convenient way to determine whether earnings are accurately posted to their Social Security records.
To get a personalized statement, people 18 and older must be able to provide data about themselves that matches the data already on file with Social Security. The SSA uses Experian, an external authentication service provider, for additional verification. No Social Security information will be shared with Experian, according to the SSA.
Once passing the identity check and verification process, people will create a “My Social Security” account, with a unique user name and password. This account will be used to access the online statement, as well as links to information about other online services, such as applications for retirement, disability and Medicare.
It’s important to remember that a Social Security disability attorney or SSD lawyers can help those seeking disability benefits. While it’s certainly possible for someone to go it alone, and, for example, use online access to apply for disability benefits, statistics show chances for success increase significantly when an applicant has effective advocacy and representation.
Not everyone will be able to create an account, for a variety of reasons, the SSA says. Those individuals will be able to request a paper statement. And those who cannot be verified online initially may visit a Social Security office and present identification in order to create an account for online access.
In February 2012, the administration resumed mailing paper statements to those 60 and older who were not already receiving Social Security benefits. The agency plans to mail paper statements to workers the year they reach age 25, starting later this year.
For more information about the new online statement, visit http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement/
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Disability Ranks Grow; Nearly 10.8 Million Receiving Benefits
April 23, 2012Government data indicates that, since 2009, a record 5.4 million workers and their dependents have joined the ranks of those collecting disability benefits.
Since the beginning of this year, 539,000 people were added to the disability rolls and more than 725,000 filed applications for Social Security disability benefits.
By April, there were a total of 10.78 million people on disability, according to the Social Security Administration. The totals for those receiving benefits from the Disability Insurance Trust Fund includes 8,685,000 disabled workers, 165,400 spouses and 1.9 million children.
In contrast, 10 years earlier, there were 7,032,550 people receiving disability benefits, including 5.4 disabled workers, 154,361 spouses and 1.5 million children. That’s an increase of approximately 53 percent-plus, in 10 years.
Many believe that the still-stagnant economy, with high unemployment, has been a big factor in the increase in applications (up 24 percent in 2011 over 2008, according to SSA data). As the Congressional Budget Office explained in a report from July 2010, “When opportunities for employment are plentiful, some people who could quality for (disability insurance) benefits find working more attractive … when employment opportunities are scarce, some of these people participate in the DI program instead.”
That report cited several factors for the increases in recipients. These included changes in the size and characteristics of the working-age population, including, the aging of the workforce and increased employment of women, plus changes in federal policy and easy of eligibility criteria.
The report noted that policy-makers have reversed some of the more restrictive policies associated with 1980 legislation, including expanding “the ways in which a person could medically qualify for the Disability Insurance program.” This “led to a renewed growth in the number of people who participated in the program and in the program’s outlays,” the CBO said.
The easing of eligibility criteria, along with changing demographics, has resulted in an increase in the average time spent in the program. “People now are claiming DI benefits at younger ages, and they are less likely to die as a result of their qualifying condition.”
Investors Daily has more, in an article titled “Disabled America.”
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Social Security Disability Benefits a Lifeline
February 14, 2012 Recently, Charles Martin wrote an op-ed piece for USA Today offering, in the face of criticism of the Social Security Administration Disability Benefits program, the point of view that “disability benefits remain a vital lifeline.”
Yes, he said, he program is “huge, complex, costly and certainly imperfect. But it deserves to be improved, not scorned. Claimants’ representatives play an important role by discouraging frivolous applications and assisting those who can prove disability navigate a daunting and often confusing bureaucracy.”
Charles Martin isn’t just any disability attorney, either. He is president of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), an association of more than 4,000 attorneys and other advocates who represent Social Security and Supplemental Security Income claimants.
As Martin notes in his piece, getting approval for benefits is harder than ever. Various standards for certain conditions have been tightened and some conditions (diabetes and obesity, Martin says) “are no longer distinct disabilities … This is no rubber-stamp process.”
Let’s fix the system, he says.
Beyond advocating for repairs in the program, instead of condemning it, Martin’s piece points out the complexity of the process. That’s why–though claimants can certainly go it alone–it’s best to have an advocate in your corner, one familiar with that complex process, one knowledgeable about what’s required and how best to present your case.
Don’t fight alone. In Illinois, have a Chicago disability attorney in your corner.
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Cases Can Involve More Than 1 Aspect of Disability Case Law
February 6, 2012 Each disability case is different and frequently involve not only more than one impairment but also more than one facet of disability case law.
This was particularly true in the case of “Jane Doe,” who was 50, and a widow, at the time of her disability onset. She won a fully favorable decision from the Social Security Administration, after an administrative law judge heard evidence presented by attorney Neil H. Good. “Jane,” age 55 at the time of the hearing, suffers from severe impairments, the judge ruled, including breast cancer with lymphedema, arthritis in the hips and one knee, depression and obesity; plus has a history of hypertension. She has at least a high school education and had, at the time of her disability, been employed as an an executive secretary.
The judge ruled Jane “does not have an impairment or combination of impairments that meets or medically equal one of the listed impairments.” At the same time, she also ruled that Jane has “the residual functional capacity (RFC) for less than sedentary work.” The judge ruled that “in this case, the claimant cannot perform any past relevant work, since even the claimant’s least demanding past relevant job required her to preform work activities inconsistent with the RFC determined above.” The judge noted that Jane’s job skills do not transfer to other occupations with the residual functional capacity, due to non-exertional limitations, and “considering the claimant’s age, education, work experience and residual functional capacity, there are no jobs that exist in significant number in the national economy that the claimant can perform.”
The case also involved whether Jane met “insured status” requirements; she had to have her disability established on or before a certain date, as well whether she qualified for widow benefits. The judge ruled that “the claimant has been disabled” from a certain time period “through the date of this decision. I also find that disability was established prior to the date last insured for entitlement to a period of disability and disability insurance benefits and during the prescribed period for entitlement to disabled widow’s benefits.
Jane had originally filed for disability benefits on her own and was turned down. She filed for reconsideration and was turned down a second time. At that point she requested the services of Neil H. Good, who wrote a detailed pre-hearing memo outlining the inter-related and complex facets of the case, and represented Jane during her hearing.
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Wait for Hearing Decision at Illinois ODAR Office at Least 329 Days
November 4, 2011When those seeking Social Security Disability benefits appealing a denial go to their hearings before an Administrative Law Judge, the logical question is, “How long until we get a decision?”
The answer is, “it depends.”
In Illinois, however, the most optimistic answer is nearly 11 months.
In Illinois, the average time between a request for a hearing until final disposition ranges, as of September 2011, from 329 to 438 days. That is according to the Social Security Administration, which tracks the average number of days until final disposition of the hearing request.
The SSA in September issued an “average processing time” report for the period between Sept. 25, 2010, through Sept. 23, 2011. The ranking covers the 157 ODAR (Office of Adjudication and Review) offices, including three satellite offices. The average shown will be a combined average for all cases completed in that hearing office.
Ponce and Mayaguez, both in Puerto Rico, ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, with an average processing time of 188 days for Ponce and 208 days for Mayaguez (which was tied with Shreveport, La.).
Here are the rankings, in order, for Illinois ODAR offices:
Evanston, No. 50, 329 days
Oak Park, No. 54, 331 days
Orland Park, No. 67, 347 days
Peoria, No. 85, 361 days
Chicago, No. 119, 398 days
Oak Brook, No. 145, 438 days
Ohio has four of the eight last-ranking offices, with Dayton second from the bottom at 491 days, Columbus (ranked 153) at 479 days, Cleveland (152) at 504 days and Toledo (150), at 463 days.
Illinois Social Security Disability attorneys pay close attention to such information, because it helps determine where a particular hearing office stands among the total, with respect to this workload category.
No matter how many days between request and disposition, it’s important to remember that having an attorney work with you on the Social Security Disability appeal dramatically increases chances of success. An attorney or advocate has experience in appealing denied benefits claims, as well as the knowledge needed to address the cause of the denial; an attorney will work to prove your eligibility for SSD assistance and prepare you for the hearing.
And there should be no fee until you win, meaning there should be no upfront costs to pay.
If you’re applying for Social Security Disability benefits, don’t fight alone. If you’ve already been denied disability benefits and want to appeal, don’t fight alone. Call an effective, experienced and compassionate attorney to get the benefits you deserve.
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As Expected, Social Security Benefits to Rise in 2012
October 21, 2011 There are big changes coming for 2012 in Social Security, with an increase in benefits, an increase in the taxable maximum of earnings and an increase in Social Security taxes taken from workers’ paychecks.
As forecast, the Social Security Administration on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, announced that monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012. The average retired worker will seen a boost of $43 a month., from $1,186 to $1,229.
However, higher Medicare premiums, which will be announced next month, may eat up the benefits boost.
In addition, the taxable maximum of earnings also will increase, which affects approximately 10 million upper-wage-earning employees.
The benefits increase is the cost–of-living adjustment that is automatically applied, when warranted. This is the first increase since 2009. The nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries will see their increase in payments received in January 2012. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin Dec. 30, 2011.
This is the first increase in two years.
According to the Social Security Administration, the COLA “is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year a COLA was determined to the third quarter of the current year. If there is no increase, there can be no COLA.” That is why there was no COLA for 2011 and 2010; inflation was too low.
An increase in average wages also triggers other changes in January of each year. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security (known as a taxable maximum) will increase $3,300, from $106,800 to $110,100. That means that someone earning $125,000 yearly will now pay Social Security taxes (known as FICA) on $3,300 more of income than in 2011.
The SSA estimates 10 million people will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.
For workers, at least as of this writing, more money will be taken from paychecks for Social Security benefits in 2012, beyond the increase in maximum salary subject to the tax. The temporary 2011 2 percent rate cut in the employee portion of the tax (from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of pay) is set to expire at the end of the year. President Barack Obama wants to cut that tax for employees to 3.1 percent for 2012, but that measure has not passed.
The SSA issued a fact sheet on the changes.
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Seniors, Others, Likely to See Social Security Benefits Hike in 2012
October 18, 2011 After no increases in two years, it’s anticipated that senior citizens and other recipients of Social Security benefits will see a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) from the Social Security Administration in 2012.
That’s according to the nonprofit group American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), which anticipates a COLA between 3.5 and 3.7 percent. The exact adjustment is expected to be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 19, when the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers is released for September 2011, or shortly thereafter. That information is required to compute the CPI-W for the third quarter of 2011.
This would be the first increase since 2009. And, as the AIER notes, this COLA change “triggers a number of other changes that have implications not only for retirees but also for people currently working.”
According to the Social Security Administration, the COLA “is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year a COLA was determined to the third quarter of the current year. If there is no increase, there can be no COLA.” That is why there was no COLA for 2011; there had been no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2010.
Because there was no COLA, there also was no increase in the base on which maximum earnings are taxed. That’s one of the automatic adjustments an increase in the COLA triggers and that affect people other than retirees. According to the AIER, the Social Security Administration will determine in the next few weeks that the maximum earnings subject to tax will be. It’s been set at $106,800 since 2009.
Other automatic adjustments affect the earnings required for one Social Security credit, Supplemental Security Income benefits and retirement earnings exempt amounts.
The Christian Science Monitor has more.
Automatic annual COLAS began in 1975.
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SSA adds 13 Compassionate Allowance conditions
October 14, 2011 The Social Security Administration has added 13 new Compassionate Allowances conditions to the program which “fast-tracks” disability decisions. The 13 new conditions involve the immune system and neurological disorders.
The idea behind the program is to ensure “that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years,” according to the SSA. The program was launched in 2008 with a list of 50 diseases and conditions. The total number now is 113 and include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, a number of rare genetic disorders in children and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, among other disorders.
“The Compassionate Allowances initiative identifies claims where the nature of the applicant’s disease or condition clearly meets the statutory standard for disability. With the help of sophisticated new information technology, the agency can quickly identify potential Compassionate Allowances and then quickly make decisions,” said the SSA.
The 13 new conditions are:
• Malignant Multiple Sclerosis
• Paraneoplastic Pemphigus
• Multicentric Castleman Disease
• Pulmonary Kaposi Sarcoma
• Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
• Primary Effusion Lymphoma
• Angelman Syndrome
• Lewy Body Dementia
• Lowe Syndrome
• Corticobasal Degeneration
• Multiple System Atrophy
• Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
• The ALS/Parkinsonism Dementia Complex
More information on the Compassionate Allowances initiative is available online.
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Social Security Administration Offices Trim Public Hours
September 19, 2011 As of Aug. 15, all Social Security Administration field offices trimmed their public hours by 30 minutes.
“While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow us to complete face-to-face service with the visiting public without incurring the cost of overtime for our employees,” Michael J. Astrue, SSA commissioner, said in a news release posted on the SSA site.
He added that the agency received nearly $1 billion less than was requested, “which makes it impossible for us to provide the amount of overtime needed to handle service to the public as we have in the past.”
This means that an office that is usually open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday will close instead at 3:30 p.m. each workday.
Offices also will be closed to the public on Friday, Nov. 25 (the day after Thanksgiving) to use the day for backlog reduction, according to the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR).
The NOSSCR is an association of more than 4,000 attorneys and other advocate who represent Social Security and Supplemental Security Income claimants, including Illinois Social Security Disability attorneys.
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