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A disabling fiscal trend
Social Security Disability payments serve a necessary purpose, and the steep rise in Americans on disability raises serious concerns about the program’s sustainability. The number of former workers receiving Social Security disability benefits rose from 5 million in 2000 to 8.8…
Could shutdown lead to Social Security COLA changes?
Fearing that the federal shutdown negotiations could quickly morph into an entitlement reform debate, advocacy groups for Medicare and Social Security are preparing for battle. On Wednesday the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation put out a report…
60 Minutes Piece On Social Security Disability Coming On Sunday
From the newsletter of the Association of Administrative Law Judges (AALJ): This Sunday evening, October 6, the television news show “60 minutes” will air a story regarding the SSA disability adjudication system. AALJ Vice-President, Marilyn Zahm and I were interviewed for…
Free Social Security Advice for U.S. Veterans
To celebrate Veterans Day, Kiplinger’s Social Security Solutions will offer recommended claiming strategies free to all U.S. military veterans. “The goal,” explains Knight Kiplinger, editor in chief of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, “is to help bolster the financial security of the men…
Strategy for Social Security’s WEP and GPO
Ask anyone affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision on Social Security benefits, and you’re likely to get an earful and then some. Most, if not all, household’ affected by GPO and WEP hate…
Obama: Social Security Checks Will Stop When Debt Ceiling Is Reached
President Barack Obama said Thursday that while it’s bad members of Congress have allowed a government shutdown, it would be worse if they failed to increase the government’s borrowing authority later this month. First and foremost, he said, retirement and disability…
Don’t be confused on Social Security
Probably most of us who are collecting Social Security retirement benefits remember Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’ gaffe when he was recorded telling supporters that he wasn’t going to give any consideration to any of the 47 percent of the…
Scammers target elderly with confusion over Obamacare
With the confusion over changes in health care and with open enrollment for those on Medicare, scammers are preying on seniors, trying to get their Medicare and bank account numbers. Sue McConnell, senior vice president, Better Business Bureau, Cleveland, said…
GOP Should Shut Down the Chained CPI
It took only two days into the latest self-inflicted congressional crisis before Republicans on Capitol Hill resuscitated their zombie-like “grand bargain” scheme. Since their plan to defund Obamacare hasn’t worked and the government shut down because of it, the GOP…
White House debunks ‘Obamacare’ myths (re: Medicare)
There are so many myths flying around about the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, the White House actually dedicated a section of its website to debunk the ones that many people believe to be the truth. One of the most…