2012 SSI benefit increases
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are going up in 2012. After three years of no cost of living (COLA) benefit increases, benefits are finally getting nudged upwards from a maximum of $674 per month for individuals (and $1011 per month for couples) to $698 for individuals and $1048 for couples.
photo credit: charlieambler
Social Security increase coming in 2012!
Good news. Individuals on Social Security will be getting a cost of living increase in 2012. And it won’t be a meager .7 % as initially thought:
Social Security recipients will get a raise in January — their first increase in benefits since 2009.
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Based on consumer prices in July and August, the COLA for 2012 would be about 3.5 percent. Vlasenko estimates the COLA will be from 3.5 percent to 3.7 percent.
Via Washington Post.
UPDATE: The number is out, and it’s 3.6%.
UPDATE: SSI benefits are going up in 2012 from a maximum of $674 per month for individuals (and $1011 per …
Social Security told to slow down decisions?
Do you think Social Security is working too fast processing Social Security disability claims. Someone apparently thinks so. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Damian Paletta reports:
Social Security judges and employees in Florida, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and Arizona were among those instructed to set aside disability cases this week, with the slowdown allowing managers to boost their performance numbers for the coming fiscal year, which starts Monday.
Top officials, in a bid to meet goals to win promotions or thousands of dollars in bonuses, directed many employees to refrain from issuing decisions on cases until next week, according to judges and union officials.
How did Social Security judges respond?
Social Security Hearing Judge Approval Rates
The rates cover September 25, 2010 through July 29, 2011 and provide:
Total number of decision.
Full approvals.
Partially favorable approvals.
Denials.
The chart also lets you sort by each column. So, if you want to see how your judge stacks up to the other judges in the same hearing office, click the second column to sort by ODAR office.
Social Security to go “broke” in 2017
AP reports Social Security may run out of funds to fullyfund Social Security disability benefits as early as 2017:
New congressional estimates say the trust fund that supports Social Security disability will run out of money by 2017, leaving the program unable to pay full benefits, unless Congress acts.
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The trustees who oversee Social Security are urging Congress to shore up the disability system by reallocating money from the retirement program, just as lawmakers did in 1994. If Congress does not act, the disability program will collect only enough payroll taxes to pay about 85 percent of benefits after the trust fund is exhausted in 2017.
So, Social Security may not have …
Social Security offices cutting hours
Social Security offices are cutting the number of hours they are open to the public by 30 minutes each day. This is part of a nationwide program reduction caused by budget cuts (including cuts to 1,600 jobs at Social Security nationwide).
As of August 15, 2011, the Colorado Springs Social Security office will be open to the public from 9am to 3:30pm.
Social Security is encourage use of the Social Security website for most tasks. However, if you need to speak to a Social Security employee in person, get there early folks!
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Deaf, Hard of Hearing, & Blind Resource Expo
This Friday, June 3, 2011, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and Independence Center, in partnership with the Access 2 Sign Language and Sign Language Network present the Deaf / Hard of Hearing / Deaf Blind Resource Expo.
The expo will be held at the Independence Center at 729 Tejon Street in Colorado Springs between 9 am and 1 pm. For more information, contact Angela at 719-471-8181 V/TTY or 719-358-2513 VP.
Social Security benefits increase coming in 2012?
After a two years freeze in Social Security benefits, a thaw may finally be coming. The Baltimore Sun reports:
The Social Security trustees’ annual report released this month estimates that the cost-of-living adjustment in next year’s checks will be 0.7 percent. The increase, which will be announced in October, could be higher, depending on where prices head in the coming months.
So, we won’t know for sure until October and the increase may be as small as 0.7 percent, and not put into effect until 2012. Hurray(?)
UPDATE 10/18/11: The 0.7 increase was the only news of an increase in 2012 for a long time. AP reports a real cost …
How will the 2011 government shutdown affect Social Security
Update 04/09/11: never mind – budget compromise reached.
What will happen to Social Security if/when the government shuts down on midnight April 8, 2011?
Fortunately, for those already on Social Security, the checks (including direct deposit) will keep coming.
However, those needing to take care of business with Social Security, or need to get problems resolved, may have more problems. Social Security has a shutdown contingency plan (pdf link – 1.85 mb) indicating the following continuing services, cutbacks and reductions
No increase in Social Security SSI disability benefits in 2011
Social Security announced today that there will be no increase in Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits for 2011. The Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) – the maximum monthly rate for SSI benefits – will stay at $674 for individuals per month, and $1,011 per month for couples.
Historically, SSI benefits have increased annually. The last increase was in 2009 increasing maximum SSI benefits from $639 to $674. This makes 2011 the third year in a row that SSI benefits are staying at the same rate. More information about changes to Social Security in 2011 including substantial gainful activity (SGA) and trial work period (TWP) amounts can be found …
Social Security Disability News: Fast-Track Getting Faster
Social Security has issued a press release that the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration has published final rules to reduce how long it takes to get an initial decision on the most severe disability cases.
The new rules allow disability examiners to make fully favorable determinations for adult cases under the agency’s Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowance (CAL) processes without medical or psychological consultant approval. It also will help the agency process cases more efficiently as it will give medical and psychological consultants more time to work on complex cases where their expertise is most needed.
“The new rules we are publishing today will help us get …
Appeals Council correcting technical errors
I was a the Colorado Bar Association Social Security CLE (Continuing Legal Education) program last week. One of the Judges stated during the presentation that the Social Security Appeals Council will begin correcting “technical errors.”
During the Q&A section, I had to ask whether this meant that the Appeals Council would begin approving more cases outright or if this would result in, effectively, “post hoc” fixing of Administrative Law Judges’ decisions.
The response was that this would not likely increase the number of approvals at the Appeals Council level and, again, this was designed to fix technical errors.
This is disconcerting as some of these “technical errors” might well result in sending cases …
How many Social Security disability applications are approved
Ever wonder what the Social Security disability approval rate is? Vicki Johnson, Director of the Colorado Disability Determination Services office presented at the September 2010 Social Security CLE (continuing legal education) program and discussed the percent approved in Social Security disability cases.
Note: Disability Determination Services (DDS) is the part of Social Security that evaluates Social Security case for medical disabilities and makes the initial decision.
Ms. Johnson reports that DDS approves 38% of Social Security disability cases.
Penrose St Francis Hospital blocking faxed records request
Penrose St Francis Hospital, one of the two major hospitals in Colorado Springs, sent me the following canned response to a (faxed) request for records for one of my clients.
Please note that the fax number you are sending your request to is for physician use only.
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Medical records requests from law firms need to be mailed to our facility in order to be processed.
Penrose St Francis is refusing lawyers from faxing requests for medical records. Penrose St Francis has a fax number for requests. They even use an third party medical copying service for processing record requests (so, it is not like nurses have to take time out from helping patients …
38 conditions added to Compassionate Allowance program in Social Security disability cases
Thirty-eight additional medical conditions have been added to Social Security’s list of conditions which qualify for fast-track Compassionate Allowances in Social Security disabilty claims.
The addition of these new conditions expands the scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease … The expansion we are announcing today means tens of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.
Here are the 38 new Compassionate Allowance conditions:
