Daniel's blog

What is Washington DC's "Interim Disability Assistance" (IDA) Program?

Submitted by Daniel on

Residents in Washington, D.C., who are dependent on IDA (Interim Disability Assistance) while they wait to be accepted for Social Security Disability Insurance had a scare when D.C. Mayor Gray recently announced a potential budget cut on the program which threatened to take those benefits away.

October is National Lupus Awareness Month

Submitted by Daniel on

October is National Lupus Awareness Month, a yearly effort to support those affected by lupus, provide awareness of the disease and its effects, and fund research for better treatment for current and future sufferers of the disease.

It is believed that at least 1.5 million people currently suffer with lupus, a statistic which increases by about 16,000 new cases annually. World-wide the estimated number of people with lupus is about 5 million.

SSA Retirement and Canadian Retirement Benefits

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The United States and Canada have long been friendly neighbors that are willing to work together, and that includes matters of retirement benefits. In 1984, the U.S. and Canada made an agreement, aptly named the US-Canada agreement, which allows citizens who have lived and worked in both countries to receive qualifications and/or retirement and disability benefits that they would otherwise not qualify for in just one of the countries because of split residency.

What is Barack Obama's Stance on Social Security Reform?

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Social Security reform has without a doubt become one of the major hot button issues of today’s political climate. Rumors of insolvency and dire predictions of benefits cuts abound.

Everyone has a stance and everyone has an idea when it comes to Social Security reform, but it seems that actually putting any of those ideas into action is becoming increasingly difficult as the ideological debate about the role of so-called “entitlement” programs in our society heats up.

Margarita Diaz Sentenced for Accepting Bribes from Disability Applicants

Submitted by Daniel on

In most cases it will take a Social Security Disability applicant two years or more to receive an approval for Social Security Disability benefits. However, that was not the case for some of the Social Security Disability applicants who were dealing with Margarita Diaz, 40, a claims representative at the Social Security Administration office in Jersey City.

Man May Receive Disability Hearing, Even After Threats

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In our society, when a crime is committed, it is punishable by the law. Our same societal standards dictate that improper behavior is not to be rewarded and that there are consequences for illegal actions. Those who believe in these values are shocked to hear that Louis Jerome Smith may still receive his disability hearing, even after threatening to kill employees who work for the Social Security Administration.

Lawmakers Consider Probe of Social Security Disability Program

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According to the Wall Street Journal, lawmakers are considering a probe of the Social Security Disability program. This probe is not the same probe reported earlier about the judge in Huntington, West Virginia who was put on administrative leave for awarding an unusually high number of Social Security Disability cases (100 percent in the past six months, to be exact).

Indiana Attorney Pleas to the SSA Through Local Newspaper

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There is no doubt that the backlog of Social Security Disability appeals that are currently in the Social Security system is a significant problem for the Social Security Administration. While the Social Security Administration did, at one time, have plans in place to decrease the backlog of disability claims, budget cuts put a stop to those efforts before they even began.

Is Social Security Disability Becoming an Extension of Unemployment?

Submitted by Daniel on

It is no secret that, while the economy may be coming back slowly, there are still many individuals who are finding it impossible to obtain a job in today's job market. Unemployment benefits are meant to help these unemployed individuals make ends meet until they are able to find other suitable employment. The problem is, these benefits are only granted for a specified period of time. Once that time period has expired, the unemployment payments stop.

Find Out If I Qualify for Benefits!