Social Security Administration officials want to make sure that children who are receiving disability benefits are entitled to them and want a study done to determine if fraud and abuse are occurring.
The SSA administrator said that nationwide, families can receive about $600 monthly if they have disabled children. Yet some federal officials fear that parents are making false claims regarding healthy children to get the benefits.
Imagine suffering a serious injury and being unable to work. You are not only worried about your own health; you are also worried about how your injury will impact your spouse and children. Without a job, providing the necessities for your family may become more difficult.
Suffering a disabling injury can mean that you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits. But some may not realize that children are also eligible to receive disability benefits for children. These benefits can help bring stability to the child's future.
Continue reading Children of disabled workers may be entitled to disability benefits
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A businessman who lives just south of the Michigan state line has pleaded guilty to bank fraud, welfare fraud and tax evasion -- crimes he said he committed partially in an attempt to receive Social Security disability benefits.
The 43-year-old man, owner of a pair of coin and estate jewelry shops, said he didn't report all of the income made by him, his wife and his business on his tax returns from 2008 to 2010. He said he listed many of his personal costs as business costs.
A Social Security public affairs specialist representing Michigan has issued a message that could be valuable in the years ahead to anyone seeking retirement, survivors' or disability benefits: Don't forget to update Social Security records anytime a life change creates a name change.
With the income tax season upon us and planning for spring and summer weddings in full gear, the Social Security Administration said communication with the agency is essential.
Residents of rural communities nationwide are more likely to live off of Social Security disability than those who live in urban communities like Detroit or other big cities in Michigan, according to a recently published report.
A comparison of data used in the report shows that per capita, more people receive disability benefits in areas that have relied on farming or mining and where medical care has been difficult to access.
A man from Washtenaw County, Michigan, rightly received the Social Security disability benefits funds due to him. But the man didn't want just one $18,000 disbursement, officials said. He allegedly wanted more, and that man now has been charged with stealing public funds.
In 2008, government documents say, the man cashed his check, and then returned to the local Social Security office to allegedly let officials there know he never received his check in the mail.
The wait to process applications for Social Security disability benefits is so long that applicants frequently pass away before the Social Security Administration can approve or deny the request. It is a tragic outcome that no one should have to go through, especially at the hands of the federal government.
In fact, it happens so frequently that the Social Security Administration has developed a classification, known as DXDI, that it stamps on applications it dismisses because of death. Since 2005, Social Security officials have had to use that code more than 15,000 times.
According to the Obama administration, while the amount of people needed unemployment benefits is decreasing, many people whose benefits have expired are turning to Social Security disability benefits. It could lead to cuts in the future to a program that is desperately needed by those who cannot work because of medical conditions.
Since 2007, the number of Americans receiving SSDI benefits has risen by 3.4 million. Total recipients have increased by 47 percent since 2002, with 10.6 million now receiving SSDI. Benefits include a monthly check as well as enrollment in the Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to a White House study reported on by the Wall Street Journal.
Applicants for Social Security disability insurance benefits frequently wait until they have been denied benefits at least once before contacting an attorney. Experts believe that retaining legal help before denial can help avoid benefit delays and mistakes.
Qualifying for Social Security disability benefits begins with filling out an application. It is not uncommon for a first or second application to be denied. An applicant has 60 days after a first denial to ask SSDI representatives to reconsider the case. The option after a second denial is to request a hearing with an administrative law judge. If benefits are denied after a second request, an applicant may choose to put the case before the Appeals Council or, ultimately, federal court.
Administrative law judges who work for the Social Security Administration are under review by the Administrative Conference of the United States. The government-policy think-tank will issue recommendations next year on how judges handle Social Security disability cases.
The independent study was requested by Social Security Administration officials in response to published reports that the distribution of Social Security disability benefits was inconsistent among many judges. Some judges were accused of cutting benefits to recipients who deserved them and others for supplying benefits to those who did not qualify for them.
Continue reading Social Security disability program gets a federal check-up
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