Every year, The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) hosts a conference for Social Security disability attorneys and representatives from around the country. This year, Wolf & Brown attorney and partner Michael J. Brown, Esq. had the opportunity to attend the 40th Anniversary Conference held in New Orleans. “While at the conference and speaking with […]
In 2020 military retirees currently receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, federal retirees, and social security recipients will see a 1.6% increase in their monthly payments. According to an article published by Military.com, “The annual Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) is smaller than the 2.8% increase from last year but in line with the historical increases […]
Starting in December, military retirees and veterans will see a 1.6 percent raise in their cost-of-living benefits payouts. According to an article published by Military Times, “Officials from the Social Security Administration announced the COLA boost [last week] Thursday, based on inflation and consumer spending calculations over the last few months. The increase will go into effect for […]
Changes to the process for applying for Social Security disability benefits went into effect in Pennsylvania in April 2019. Applicants now have an extra step in an already lengthy process. According to an article published by KYW News Radio, “[The] policy is a change in the Social Security Administration’s process for getting disability benefits. Instead of […]
Anyone in Pennsylvania who is denied federal disability benefits and wants to appeal will now go through a new step that the Social Security Administration says is meant to reduce a large case backlog. For the past decade, Pennsylvania had a special exception to the rule that a person denied disability benefits after an initial application […]
A new policy proposal is calling for the monitoring of disabled people’s social media profiles to determine the validity and necessity of their disability benefits. According to an article published by Forbes, “the proposal, which reportedly aims to cut down on the number of fraudulent disability claims would monitor the profiles of disabled people and […]
Last week, the Supreme Court denied a Social Security Disability Insurance plaintiff’s proposal to establish a rule that effectively requires vocational experts to turn over the “substantial evidence” underlying their opinions in every case. Michael Biestek claimed that he was unable to work because he suffered from degenerative disc disease, Hepatitis C and depression. However, […]
According to an article published by The New York Times, government officials have diligently been working on a proposal to use social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to help identify people who have falsely claimed Social Security disability benefits. For example, if a person claimed benefits because of a foot injury but was shown running a […]
The widely supported Social Security 2100 Act would provide an across-the-board increase in basic benefits to recipients, including a guaranteed minimum 25 percent above the poverty line, enhanced cost-of-living allowance (COLA) and overall reduction in the taxation of benefits. According to an article published by The Washington Post, “It’s paid for by a gradual increase […]
Applying for social security disability insurance (SSDI) can be a lengthy and complicated process, especially since chronic pain is considered a subjective condition. With appeals by disabled applicants commonly denied, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now realizing the challenge that this poses and has begun taking steps to correct this by requesting public feedback. The […]
