Unconscionable Cuts to SS

CALL YOUR CONGRESS REPS AND SENATORS! Making cuts to an agency which is already understaffed and underbudgeted is unconscionable. These cuts are going to cause the experienced employees to retire or resign, leaving us with a lot of employees that haven't been properly trained, and don't know or care, what they are doing. This is going to affect anyone that receives Social Security Disability ("SSD") benefits, Supplemental Income ("SSI") or retirement benefits, and anyone planning on applying for them. It affects people of all ages, races and gender. If you don't have a Social Security Number, you cannot get benefits. If you do have one, you still have to meet rigid criteria to get any kind of benefits.

If DOGE wanted to save money at the SSA, then it should consider trying to reduce waste and fraud rather than firing employees.  DOGE could require eliminating Reconsideration in SSD and SSI cases.  DOGE could reduce the excessive amount of paper that is wasted by SSA constantly mailing duplicate letters and forms.  DOGE could insist on sufficient training for SSA employees to ensure they all know how to do their jobs correctly.  What agency is trying to fix the delays that  plague the SSA due to lack of staff and funds?  What agency is trying to avoid having claimants with no income, who are unable to work at a fulltime job, to lose their homes, or to die before a decision is made? DOGE is obviously making everything worse at the SSA.  What agency is trying to improve anything at the SSA?

SS Comm'r Resigns

Elon Musk's DOGE has turned its sights onto the Social Security Administration ("SSA"), prompting Michelle King, the Commission of Social Security to resign.  So many people depend on their Social Security benefits. The SSA is already understaffed and underfunded. Who wants Elon Musk to have access to their SSN's, earnings, bank account information, medical records and other sensitive information? If you are on disability, you should be extremely concerned. This is no joke.

SSD Even If Able To Work

In some circumstances you can get Social Security Disability (“SSD”) benefits even if you have the physical ability to work on a full time basis.  We received an approval today that illustrates this point.

We represent a 53 year old from Brooklyn with sleep apnea, who had made his living as a police detective, and had suffered a brain aneurysm.  The claimant’s pulmonologist provided reports with severe functional restrictions.  While the Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) believed the pulmonologist’s restrictions were excessive, the ALJ still determined that the claimant had the ability to perform sedentary work.

A vocational expert testified that the claimant had no transferable skills from his past work as a detective, which was classified as a light occupation.  Since the claimant had no recent education, the ALJ applied the medical vocational or “Grid” rules  to conclude the claimant was disabled, even if he were capable of performing the full range of sedentary work.

If you are thinking about applying for disability you should consider retaining an experienced disability attorney.   Our office is conveniently located on the Nassau/Suffolk county border in Melville.  Please call our office for a free phone consultation.