Acting Social Security Commissioner, Leland Dudek has voiced the agency’s full support for President Trumps memorandum “Preventing Illegal Aliens from Receiving Social Security Act Benefits”. The President’s memo directs SSA to take several steps to stop illegal aliens and other ineligible people from drawing benefits. Among those are investigating whether people over 100 years of…
As of March 31, 2025 persons wishing to change their address with the Social Security Administration will have to do so through the secure “my Social Security” website or visit a SS office, in person. It will no longer be possible to make changes by calling Social Security. This is to combat fraudulent address and…
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…
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…
The Social Security Administration has released the so-called “Waterfall Charts” for 2023. These charts show the level of awards and denials of Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) & Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI).
At the initial application level 39% of claims were allowed and 61% denied.
At the reconsideration level 15% were allowed and 85% denied.
At the hearing level before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) 45% were allowed, 24% were dismissed and 30% were denied.
After a Request for Review the Appeals Council allowed 1% of claims, 3% were dismissed, 13% remanded and 83% were denied.
Finally, after a United States District Court review 1% were allowed, 5% were dismissed, 61% were remanded and 33% denied.
These numbers are fairly steady from 2022. ALJ dismissals were up 13% and ALJ allowances were down 6%.