Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) benefits are a type of government benefit payment available only to federal employees upon reaching retirement. It is not, as is sometimes mistaken, a type of Social Security Disability program. There is a completely separate provision for disability benefits under FERS.
Citizens as well as politicians have long been voicing their discontent with the practices of the Title XVI program run by the Social Security Administration, but the growing universal concern over the impending bankruptcy of Social Security has led to more public outcry over the abuses of the program and how it is contributing to the financially instability of the system.
When you think of the innovative companies behind your favorite smartphone apps, chances are you don’t think of the Social Security Administration. But with the recent launch of the SSA’s “Baby Name Playroom” app, the association of the two is destined to be more common. This, along with the administration’s presence on popular sites such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter, is a small example of the SSA’s increasing interest in finding new ways of using technology to become more efficient and client-friendly.
In statistics, an outlier is any piece of data in a particular study that does not fit in with, or is incongruous with the other data. Put simply, it lies outside the realm of the other information. This term is sometimes used to describe the performance of judges, based on their statistics of approved versus denied cases compared to national averages.
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) arguably has more subjective power than any other link in the Social Security Disability chain. The system is intentionally designed to allow ALJs a broader ability to use their own judgment during Social Security Disability hearings than other SSA adjudicators. ALJs typically use the HALLEX as a basis for their decisions.
When most people imagine a case of Social Security Disability fraud, the think of individuals who are completely capable of working trying to obtain Social Security Disability benefits in spite of their physical health. In truth, there are many different facets of disability fraud, as a recent case in North Oaks, Minnesota has proven.
The age of technology has arrived and more companies are going paperless than ever, including the Social Security Administration.
What does the SSA's shift towards paperless payments mean for Social Security Disability beneficiaries?
Many wonder exactly what changes are being made and how those changes will affect them on a personal level. The following information will help you understand how the change to paperless payments will affect your monthly Social Security Disability benefits.
It is no secret that it takes some disability applicants more than two years to receive their first payment upon applying for Social Security Disability benefits. In 2008, the average time to process a Social Security Disability claim was 480 days. When disabled workers are struggling financially and have no way of making ends meet, waiting 480 days for disability payments to begin is unacceptable, and the Social Security Administration is beginning recognize this fact.
There has been much commotion in the news about Obama's new 2012 Federal Budget plan, but very little is being said about exactly how this budget will affect the Social Security Disability program. Many Social Security Disability recipients are wondering exactly how this new budget affects them and are confused as to whether or not their disability benefits are at risk.
There is much debate about the concept of privatization of Social Security. In general, Democrats tend to oppose it while Republicans are for it, while both parties agree that something needs to be done because the Social Security System is projected to start running on a deficit somewhere between the year 2013 and 2037. Such a deficit will adversely affect both retirement and disability benefits payments for beneficiaries.
