Blog
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More fall out from special government employee, Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). Acting SS Commissioner, Michelle King, has resigned in protest of access being denied DOGE. President Trump has named Leland Dudek, a long-term SS employee, as Acting Commissioner. Frank Bisigano has been nominated by the President to be permanent Commissioner.
3 days ago -
The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Bulletin reports that as of January 2025 Social Security beneficiaries can no longer just drop by their local district office with a question or to get an issue resolved. Most people must call for an appointment. Exceptions are made for military personnel, people with terminal illnesses and those…
2+ weeks ago
News
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Summer 2021 Newsletter STILL STANDING…AND PRACTICING I published the first issue of Social Security & You in Spring of 1993. Some years I’ve published more issues than others. The most recent issue was dated Spring 2019: over 2 years ago. The world was a much different place then. Especially for me. Read the full newsletter…
3+ years ago -
Spring 2019 Newsletter An Opioid Story I’ve changed his name. Let’s call him Gerald. He was a laborer. And by that I don’t mean that he just did physical work. He was a card-carrying member the Labor’s Union local. And that meant a lot to him. I represented him for Social Security disability and Michigan…
5+ years ago
HOW WILL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFFECT SSA?
Just as occurred in 1996 when Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R) GA and Bill Clinton faced off, President Obama & the Republican led House of Representatives have partially shut-down the federal government. The Congress has not passed a budget or continuing financing resolution over the issue of funding (or at least delaying) implementation of the Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare”.
How is this shut-down affecting Social Security? Quite a bit.
It’s pretty quiet behind the scenes at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Other than 1 employee at the reception desk the only employees at work are the Administrative Law Judges. They have a union and they are protected so long as they show up for work. They will receive retroactive pay when the shutdown ends.
The scheduled hearings will be held. The hearing monitors and vocational experts are contract employees and they will be paid. But all other employees of the ODARs are off work.
So although the cases will be heard and decisions made by the ALJs, decisions won’t be written, hearings won’t be scheduled, electronic files won’t be prepared for access, cases won’t be exhibited for hearing, the phone won’t be answered and cases won’t be screened for “on-the-record” decisions.
In other words, the ODARs are effectively dead in the water.
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