Important Update Regarding Online Video Hearings
We announced on September 3, 2020, a new option for people awaiting a hearing. In addition to telephone hearings, we will begin offering claimants the option to participate in an online video hearing using the Microsoft Teams platform. Beginning in December 2020, we will send special notices that explain hearing options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mailing will include a form where the claimant can agree to a telephone hearing, online video hearing, or both.
This new, free service will allow claimants and their representatives to participate in the hearing from anywhere they have access to a camera-enabled smartphone, tablet, or computer and access to the internet. This stable and secure online platform allows the administrative law judge to see and interact with claimants and their representatives just like an in-person hearing, while maintaining privacy. Other hearing witnesses, such as medical or vocational experts, may participate by phone only.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of finding new ways to serve the public,” said Commissioner of Social Security Andrew Saul. “For over a decade, the agency has used video hearings to get applicants their hearing decisions sooner. This advancement builds on that effort, making it easier and more convenient to attend a hearing remotely, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. To continue to ensure all participants’ safety, we expect online video hearings and telephone hearings will be the only two hearing options for the foreseeable future.”
Read the latest news about online video hearings at our Hearings and Appeals page. To learn more about hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our Coronavirus page.
New my Social Security Features Help with Planning for the Future!
my Social Security now offers a wider range of features and benefits for both beneficiaries and those not receiving benefits.
Beneficiaries will continue to get information tailored to them, and can print a benefit verification letter and SSA-1099, change their address and direct deposit information, request a replacement Social Security card, and more.
Someone not receiving benefits now has more reasons to use my Social Security. In addition to being able to request a replacement Social Security card, view their Social Security Statement, and find out if they are eligible to receive retirement benefits, they can now view the benefits they could receive based on their spouse’s record. If they are eligible to receive retirement benefits, they can also view their retirement benefit estimates at different ages or dates when they want to start receiving benefits, calculate the benefit their spouse could receive based on their record, and more. When they are ready, they can start the benefit application process online.
If they have a claim pending, they can also check their claim status with their personal my Social Security account.
Remember my Social Security is not just for people receiving benefits. We encourage you to plan for you future and manage your present by visiting my Social Security.
An Important Update about Statutory Benefit Continuation Election
We have experienced delays in processing certain requests for reconsideration of initial disability cessation determinations (including age-18 redeterminations) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We will accept this delay as a good reason to continue (or resume) benefits when your clients file a late request and the following apply:
- The determination notice ending your client’s disability benefits (notice of cessation) is dated on or before August 30, 2020; and
- Your client’s request for reconsideration of the cessation determination is still pending with us.
Visit our COVID-19 page to learn more.
Join Us – National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs - Long-Term Health Effects
You are invited to attend Social Security’s next National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs: Long-Term Health Effects. The forum is on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 and will be held via teleconference from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
The purpose of this forum is to hear from medical experts and researchers about the medical impact of COVID-19, including special considerations for people with pre-existing medical conditions, multiple diagnoses, effectiveness and availability of treatments, gaps in access to treatments, recent developments, and the long-term impact of the virus on their ability to work and their longevity.
Please register online by Monday, November 16, 2020, if you wish to participate.
We hope you can join us and we look forward to your participation. To learn more, you may go to the National Disability Forum website.
New Online Option for the Disability Update Report (Form SSA-455)
We are making it easier for people who receive Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments to submit their Disability Update Report online. This form is completed periodically by some beneficiaries for their Continuing Disability Review (CDR). The law requires us to complete a CDR to determine if a beneficiary still has a disabling condition. Access the SSA-455 online form.
Your Client May Be Eligible for an In-Person Appointment
During the pandemic, Social Security has continued to provide service online and by phone while our offices remain closed for walk-in service. Our local office employees are busy answering calls to their office. While we offer many online and phone options to help you, we recognize that in-person assistance is sometimes necessary.
Though walk-in service is not available, we may be able to schedule an in-person appointment in certain situations. We have updated information on our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) web page to explain situations involving help with benefits or a Social Security number when we may be able to schedule an appointment. If you believe your client qualifies for an in-person appointment, ask your client to call their local office. They can look up the phone number for their local office by accessing our office locator. Please note that appointments may not be immediately available, depending on local health and safety conditions and staffing. An in-person appointment may be possible if your client:
- Is without food or shelter, including utilities or is without medical care or coverage and needs to apply for or reinstate benefits.
- Currently receives benefits and has an urgent need for payment to meet expenses for food, shelter, or medical treatment, and cannot receive the payment electronically.
- Is age 12 or older applying for their first SSN card.
- Needs to update or correct their SSN information (e.g., name, date of birth, or citizenship) to obtain income, resources, or medical care or coverage, or other services or benefits (e.g., filing a tax return, applying for housing, seeking an Economic Impact Payment).
Please visit and subscribe to our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) web page to keep up to date during the pandemic.
An Important Notice Regarding Transition Age Youth!
Today Social Security released a notice to more than 340,000 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients between the ages of 14 and 17 (transition-aged youth) and their adult representatives to help them identify policies and other resources to assist youth in their transition to adulthood. These mailings include a notice introducing our annual informational publication, What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18 (Publication No. 05-11005). Caregivers are encouraged to review it with the child, if possible.
This publication helps youth prepare for the transition from school to adult life. It provides information about SSI work incentives primarily affecting youth, as well as information about common programs, services, and supports that parents, guardians, and youth may find helpful.
Specific programs covered include:
- Student Earned Income Exclusion;
- SSI Continued Payments (Section 301);
- Vocational Rehabilitation Programs;
- Department of Education’s Parent Centers; and
- Medicaid -- including the importance of keeping health insurance and having a primary care provider.
The publication can be obtained from the agency’s publication website in both English and Spanish versions.
We Want to Hear From You!
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is leading a multi-agency effort to understand how the services the federal government provides are part of a broader customer journey.
The OMB disability survey is open to individuals with a disability and those who help them. OMB invites participants to share what they have found most helpful, frustrating, and moments that made a difference in their family’s journey.
The survey is anonymous, though you have the option to share an email address if you are interested and willing to arrange an interview to discuss further. You can visit 2020 Federal Customer Experience Journey Mapping Projects to learn more about this important project, including how OMB will use the information participants provide.
Social Security Announces 2021 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Increase
In 2021, monthly Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments for approximately 70 million Americans will increase by 1.3 percent.
Visit our blog for more details about the COLA increase.
Important Notice Regarding Direct Fee Payments
On October 5, 2020, we published a Notice in the Federal Register on the requirement for representatives who request direct fee payment to submit all evidence electronically to the Office of Hearings Operations or Appeals Council for disability cases that have an electronic folder. We will apply the notice beginning on November 4, 2020, 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
The requirement eliminates the need for our staff to process evidence manually and associates it with the correct claims folder, promotes administrative efficiency, reduces the amount of paper evidence that requires physical handling and processing by our employees and contractors, and minimizes errors that may occur through manual processing. While we planned to issue this new requirement prior to the current COVID-19 national public health emergency, pursuing it now is even more critical because contactless transmission of evidence limits the need to handle documents manually.
This requirement will not apply directly to claimants or to representatives who are ineligible for or do not request direct fee payment- they may continue to submit evidence via non-electronic means, but we strongly encourage all parties to use electronic methods for efficiency reasons. The requirement for direct pay representatives constitutes an affirmative duty under 20 CFR 404.1740(b) (4) and 416.1540(b) (4). We may investigate to determine if representatives have violated this duty if they fail to adhere to this requirement. However, we will not reject or delay a claimant's hearing or process a claim differently if the representative fails to comply.
There may be a few situations where case characteristics, our systems, or other limitations preclude a representative's ability to submit evidence electronically. In these situations, we will consider the representative's individual circumstances.
Important Update for Appointed Representatives!
Starting September 19, 2020, we added the ability for Appointed Representatives (ARs) to access their cases pending at the initial and reconsideration levels, including continuing disability review cases. ARs can now view these documents in the Disability Related Development and Medical Evidence sections of the eFolder. These are sections E and F, respectively.
Since 2011, Appointed Representative Services (ARS) has provided the ability for ARs to access their clients’ electronic folders (eFolders) for cases pending at the hearings and appeals levels.
ARs already enrolled in ARS have immediate access to their initial and reconsideration level cases. If an AR cannot access a case at the initial and reconsideration levels, it is likely their SSA-1696 (Appointment of Representative) is not yet processed. They will have access as soon as the field office processes their SSA-1696. As a reminder, ARS will suspend a user’s account when they have attempted to access 10 SSNs in a 24-hour period for which they are not the representative of record (i.e., cases where the 1696s are not processed). ARs who have been blocked from their account should contact the Electronic Records Express (ERE) Helpdesk to have their account unblocked. We strongly recommend ARs keep this limitation in mind when accessing initial and reconsideration cases.
The Office of Hearings Operations will continue the current process of enrolling ARs who have cases pending at the hearings or appeals levels. ARs who only have cases pending at the initial and reconsideration levels are not eligible to enroll at this time.
Please remember ARs have a responsibility to protect the data and information in claimant folders. This includes information about the claimants and their evidence providers (i.e., EIN/TIN).
Update on Social Security Hearing Offices
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took unprecedented measures to protect both the public and our employees. These measures included closing our more than 1,400 field and hearing offices to in-person service; allowing our employees to work remotely; and pausing certain actions that could have resulted in a continued reduction, suspension, or termination of benefits or payments under titles II, VIII, or XVI of the Social Security Act (Act).
Beginning on August 31, 2020, we resumed these workloads, including certain hearings-related workloads that had been paused since mid-March, including:
- Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) and Age-18 Redeterminations hearings and decisions; and
- Non-disability hearings and decisions.
At the same time, we continue to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic may give rise to circumstances that may constitute good cause for missing an appeal deadline or failing to appear at a scheduled hearing. On August 31, 2020, we provided guidance to hearings offices that administrative law judges may resume issuing dismissals for late-filing of a hearing or failure to appear at a hearing.
To ensure hearing offices are appropriately issuing these types of dismissals (late filing or failure to appear at a hearing), hearing offices will now develop the record for good cause by issuing a Request to Show Cause for Late Filing or Failure to Appear notice.
This added step provides one more opportunity, beyond our COVID-19 emergency procedures, for claimants to provide good cause for failure to meet filing deadlines or to appear at their telephone hearings. In addition to this added step for late-filing/failure-to-appear dismissals, we have temporarily expanded our traditional in-line quality reviews of hearing dispositions to focus on ensuring that dismissals are policy-compliant.
Help Spread the Word: Extended IRS Deadline for Economic Impact Payments!
Please join us and our partners TODAY, SEPTEMBER 15, for a Social Media Day of Action to raise awareness about the IRS’ extended September 30 deadline for Social Security and SSI recipients to enter their child’s information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool to receive the $500 Economic Impact Payment (EIP) this year. For your convenience, here is the content we plan to post on our social media channels.
IRS Extends Deadline to Ensure People with Children Receive $500 Economic Impact Payments. Learn more
We hope you will join in sharing this urgent message with the public. The extended deadline is fast approaching and applies to people who:
- Receive Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, or SSI payments;
- Did not file a 2019 or 2018 tax return;
- Have a qualifying child under age 17; and
- Who did not already enter information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool for themselves and at least one child.
If your client already entered information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool before and even after the IRS’ previously announced deadlines (April 22 for Social Security beneficiaries; May 5 for SSI recipients), your client does not need to do anything for those children. However, you may need to file a tax return next year, please visit the IRS website to learn more. The IRS will automatically make a payment in October based on the information your client provided.
Most adult Social Security and SSI beneficiaries should already have received their $1,200 individual EIPs. Beneficiaries who do not usually file taxes can use the Non-Filers tool – but they must act by October 15, 2020, to get their payment this year.
The IRS plans to issue electronic EIPs on November 4, 2020 and to issue paper check EIPs on November 6, 2020 to Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who started receiving their monthly benefits on or after January 1, 2020. If, however, they used the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool and have not received their EIP yet, it will likely arrive in October.
Please note that Direct Express cardholders who use the IRS’ Non-Filer tool will not receive their $1,200 payment on their Direct Express card. They will receive both their $1,200 payment and each child’s $500 payment on a non-Direct Express bank account they provide the IRS, or by mail if they leave bank information empty. If they do not use the Non-Filer tool, they will receive their $1,200 payment on their Direct Express card.
We encourage you to read the latest information from the IRS, and share this information with your members, colleagues, affiliates, and other interested parties. Tell them to act now to receive their Economic Impact Payment this year.
Join Us – National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs: Serving Our Beneficiaries Through Unprecedented Times
We cordially invite you to participate in Social Security’s next National Disability Forum on COVID-19 and SSA Programs: Serving Our Beneficiaries Through Unprecedented Times. The forum is on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 and will be held via teleconference from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET with an hour lunch break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET.
The purpose for this forum is for us to learn from a diverse group of third parties that help people access our services on how they’ve adapted their service models during the pandemic to continue to provide needed assistance and what we can do to help them be successful. In addition, we will hear from government agencies on how they have modified their operations to provide services during the pandemic. There will be two sessions.
Morning Session 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
The Advocate Experience: Best practices and lessons learned for connecting seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations to benefits and other critical services during the pandemic.
Afternoon Session 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
The Governmental Agency Experience:
Adapting policies and procedures to continue to serve the public during the pandemic.
Please register online by Friday, September 18, 2020 if you wish to participate.
We hope you can join us and we look forward to your participation. To learn more, please visit the National Disability Forum.
Social Security Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities: Agency Adds to Compassionate Allowances List
Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the addition of five new Compassionate Allowances conditions.
Compassionate Allowance is a program to quickly identify severe medical conditions and diseases that meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.
When a Social Security or Supplemental Security Income claim involves a Compassionate Allowance condition, we can often make a decision quickly and minimize the time required to begin paying benefits.
Please see our press release for more details.
For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit our Compassionate Allowances page.
You’re invited to comment on the Council on Economic Mobility’s Request for Information
The Council on Economic Mobility (Council), a new federal interagency effort, is seeking input through a request for information (RFI).
The Council seeks to build an integrated federal strategy to promote economic recovery and resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information gathered in response to the RFI will help inform the Council’s priorities, working group activities, stakeholder engagement, and federal programs.
The RFI is open for comment until October 2, 2020; however, we encourage early submissions.
New – Medicare Part B Online Filing Option
We are making it easier for people already enrolled in Medicare to conduct business with us!
To assist beneficiaries who have stopped working and are seeking immediate enrollment into Medicare Part B, we have developed an online option to complete and submit their enrollment forms.
Medicare beneficiaries can now apply for Medicare Part B, complete CMS-40B and CMS L564-Request for Employment Information, and also submit evidence of Group Health Plan or Large Group Health Plan online.
Please visit How do I sign up for Medicare Part B if I already have Part A? for more information.
The 2020 Social Security Trustees Report Is Out Now
Today, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds.
The combined funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, with 79% of benefits payable after that time. The DI Trust Fund is estimated to become depleted in 2065, with 92% of benefits still payable.
To learn more, please visit www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/#4-2020-5.
SSI Recipients Will Receive Automatic COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments
The agency announced this week that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department.
SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment.
SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17, however, should now go to the IRS’s webpage at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here and visit the Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info section to enter their information. By doing so, they may receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment.
For more information on this additional guidance, read the latest press release.
Advance Designation is Now Available
We updated our Representative Payee Program offering an option to beneficiaries and applicants for Social Security benefits to provide Advance Designation. Advance Designation allows beneficiaries and claimants to designate preferred individual(s) to serve as payee should the need arise, and requires SSA to select the designated individual with certain exemptions.
Advance Designation allows all capable Title II, Title VIII, and Title XVI adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries to designate a representative payee in advance when applying for benefits or with their my Social Security account.
Advance Designation provides beneficiaries more control over their financial future, reduces instances of elder abuse, and will help SSA find qualified representative payee candidates more quickly. Learn more about this update here.
A New Way to Sign Up for Medicare Part-B
As you know, as of March 17, 2020 we closed all local Social Security offices to the public for in-person service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that due to current circumstances, beneficiaries may have difficulties submitting their Medicare enrollment forms by mail.
To assist beneficiaries who have stopped working and are seeking immediate enrollment into Medicare Part B, we have developed a method for beneficiaries to fax their enrollment forms.
Now Medicare beneficiaries can fax Medicare Part B form, CMS-40B and CMS L564- Request for Employment Information, along with proof of employment, Group Health Plan (GHP), or Large Group Health Plan (LGHP) to 1-833-914-2016, if unable to mail the forms directly to your local Social Security office. To find your local office mailing address, please use our Social Security Office Locator.
Please visit our Social Security & Coronavirus information page to get updates on the latest, including how to get help from the Social Security Administration by phone and online.
Advance Designation is Now Available
We updated our Representative Payee Program offering an option to beneficiaries and applicants for Social Security benefits to provide Advance Designation. Advance Designation allows beneficiaries and claimants to designate preferred individual(s) to serve as payee should the need arise, and requires SSA to select the designated individual with certain exemptions.
Advance Designation allows all capable Title II, Title VIII, and Title XVI adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries to designate a representative payee in advance when applying for benefits or with their my Social Security account.
Advance Designation provides beneficiaries more control over their financial future, reduces instances of elder abuse, and will help SSA find qualified representative payee candidates more quickly. Learn more about this update here.
Social Security’s Inspector General Warns of New Benefit Suspension Scam
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General has received reports of Social Security beneficiaries receiving letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter.
Unfortunately, this is the latest twist on the ongoing scams affecting the American public. The scammers are misleading beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures.
For more information, we encourage you to read this blog from our Inspector General. And as always, please report Social Security scams using our dedicated online form. Please share this information with your friends and family, to help spread awareness about Social Security scams.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Important Information about Social Security Services
All local Social Security offices are closed to the public for in-person service as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the populations we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services.
Please visit our Social Security & Coronavirus webpage to get updates on the latest, including how to get help from the Social Security Administration by phone and online.
Check Out Our New Representative Payee Portal!
We are making it easier for those serving as a representative payee to conduct business with us! We have launched our new centralized Representative Payee Portal where individual representative payees with a my Social Security account can:
Select “my Social Security” to use the Representative Payee Portal for your own business:
- Estimate your future benefits
- Print your online Social Security statement
- Request a replacement Social Security card (in qualifying states)
- Get a proof of income letter
- Change your address, if you receive benefits
Select “Representative Payee Services” to conduct business for your beneficiaries:
- View current benefit details
- Update or enroll in direct deposit
- Complete annual accounting
- Report wages
If you serve as a Representative Payee, we encourage you to check out the new Representative Payee Portal.
Learn about becoming a representative payee and all the requirements by:
New Rule Modernizes How We Award Disability Benefits
Your clients deserve a timely and accurate decision regarding their disability claim. To help us do that, we must modernize the rules and standards we use to evaluate how we determine disability benefits.
We updated a rule that has been in the works for a number of years and updates an outdated policy that made the inability to communicate in English a factor in awarding disability benefits. Learn more on our blog about why we are making this much-needed change.
We Need Your Help to Fight Social Security Phone Scams!
In the last year, Social Security phone scams have skyrocketed, becoming the #1 type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security.
To help reduce these types of fraud, Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul and SSA Inspector General Gail Ennis have announced the launch of a new online form to report Social Security phone scams.
Please help us raise awareness about the scam and reporting suspicious phone calls to the online form. You can find more information on this important topic by visiting our Social Security Matters Blog.
National Disability Forum on What Impairments Have a Likelihood to Improve?
You're invited!
Please register to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on “What Impairments Have a Likelihood to Improve?”
The forum will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via live stream.
The purpose of this forum is to obtain feedback from experts on what impairments have a likelihood to improve. This forum will be moderated, and include up to five panelists presenting information on the topic. Additionally, there will be a question-and-answer session featuring questions from audience members in the room and participating online.
If you would like to participate, please register by Sunday, December 1, 2019.
To learn more about the National Disability Forum, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ndf/.
Ticket to Work and National Disability Employment Awareness Month
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year’s theme is The Right Talent, Right Now.
During this month, America observes and celebrates the contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce whose careers are in every industry. This is also a time to encourage people with disabilities, who are not in the workforce but are interested in working or returning to work.
In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we are highlighting our Ticket to Work Program. This program helps people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits. Many beneficiaries have participated in the Ticket to Work Program and have successfully transitioned to work. Please visit our National Disability Employment Awareness Month blog for more details on the Ticket to Work Program.
Social Security's 2020 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Increase Announced
In 2020, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for nearly 69 million Americans will increase by 1.6 percent.
Visit our blog for more details about the COLA increase.
Scam Alert! How You Can Help
Social Security is teaming up with other government agencies to develop educational tools to help our citizens’ spot fraudulent schemes and avoid becoming victims.
Recently, we worked with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create a new fraud prevention placemat to help you avoid Social Security scams. You can order free copies of the placemat to use at dining venues, or to share with friends and family.
Additionally, we have posted a series of blogs about how our beneficiaries can protect their information from scammers and what to do when they receive a “spoof” call. In addition, our colleagues at the FTC released detail information on how to stop unwanted calls.
For additional resources and tips read our blog: How You Can Help Social Security Protect Others.
The Best Kept Secret in the Disability Community
Later this year, the Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) will be five years old.
Why are we excited? Because nearly 8 million Americans with disabilities could save money for qualified disability expenses to cover short and long-term needs by opening an ABLE account.
Visit our blog to learn more about ABLE accounts.
National Disability Forum on the State of Medicine – Biomarkers
You’re invited!
Please register here to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on the State of Medicine – Biomarkers.
The forum will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via live stream.
The purpose of the forum is to gain insight on how Social Security may incorporate biomarker assessment into the disability determination process, based on emerging science.
Confirmed Panelists:
- Dr. Philip Wang, Deputy Medical Director and Director of Research for the American Psychiatric Association
- Dr. Sarah Morris, Branch Chief, Adult Psychopathology and Psychosocial Interventions Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health
- Dr. Kristen Schratz, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellow, Department of Oncology and Telomere Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Dr. Stephanie George, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Dr. Gabriel Newman, Clinical Director, The Neuroscience Team
- Dr. Carmen R. Green, Professor, Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology-Research Division, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
Agenda Topics:
- Topic 1: Integrating Biomarker Evidence into the Practice of Psychiatry
- Topic 2: Prognostic Biomarkers in Mental Impairments: Current and Future
- Topic 3: The Telomere in Cancer and Other Diseases
- Topic 4: Biomarkers with Potential Utility in Disability Adjudication of Physical Impairments
- Topic 5: Biomarkers in Brain Injury
- Topic 6: Biomarkers in the Assessment of Pain
If you would like to participate, please register online by Monday, July 8, 2019.
To learn more about the National Disability Forum, please click http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ndf/
Top 10 Baby Names
Last year’s Top 10 baby names have been released! This is our annual list of the most popular baby names based on Social Security number applications from 2018.
To find out which names made this year’s list, visit our baby names page, www.socialsecurity.gov/babynames.
Social Security is on Instagram
Social Security is excited to announce that we are now on Instagram! Instagram is an online community of over one billion users sharing life’s visual moments and video stories. From this channel, we will share stories and information about resources that can help you and your clients.
Follow @SocialSecurity for all new stories and updates on the information you need to know. Stay connected with #SocialSecurity happenings, behind the scenes, information on our benefit programs, and more.
See you on Instagram!
It’s April and National Social Security Month is finally here!
Our theme again this year is, “See what you can do online!” We are very excited to share with you during this celebratory time all of the great things you can do online at SocialSecurity.gov.
Throughout the month, we encourage you to share the advantages of a personal my Social Security account with customers, your family, and friends.
With a my Social Security account, they can verify their earnings, get a proof of income letter, change their direct deposit, check the status of their Social Security application, and more – all online.
Visit our blog to learn more about National Social Security Month.
SCAM ALERT! Help Us Raise Awareness
We have become aware of reports of fraudulent telephone calls from individuals claiming to represent the Social Security Administration (SSA). In them, unknown callers are using threatening language to warn unknowing victims that they will be arrested or face other legal action if they fail to call a provided phone number or press the number indicated in the message to address the issue. In some instances, these unknown callers switch tactics and communicate that they want to help an individual with activating a suspended Social Security number. Such calls are a scam, and are not coming from official SSA representatives.
We encourage you to inform your members and extended networks not to engage with such callers, and to report any suspicious calls to Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General by calling 1-800-269-0271 or submitting a report on the OIG website. We also urge you to read and share our Social Security Matters blog , which provides more information on the nature of these fraudulent calls, as well as instructions on how to report such activity.
Social Security is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the people we serve. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about this important topic.
Share Your Feedback! Help Strengthen the Representative Payee Program
A provision of the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 requires us to solicit public comment on:
- the appropriateness of the order of preference for selecting a representative payee; and
- the effectiveness of our policy and operational procedures for determining when to change a representative payee.
On December 14, 2018, we published a Federal Register Notice requesting public feedback on nine questions related to our order of preference, policies, and operational procedures. We invite your comment on this notice before the public comment period ends on January 28, 2019.
2019 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) 2.8 Percent Increase
Today, Social Security announced that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019.
Visit our blog to learn more about the COLA.
New Online Wage Reporting Tool for SSI Recipients
We are pleased to announce that we are expanding our my Social Security online wage reporting service to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, as well as their spouses, parents, sponsors, and representative payees. Individuals receiving both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI, as well as their representative payees, can also report wages online. This service is available through our existing my Social Security portal. Check our website to learn more about my Social Security features and how to sign up. You can also click here to access more information about reporting wages online.
Tips for Safeguarding Your Identity
Join us on Facebook for a Social Security Live chat on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 11 a.m. EST. We will be speaking with special guest, Lisa Schifferle of the Federal Trade Commission.
During this live event, we will share important tips on consumer protection and how to safeguard your identity. We will also be discussing how to get involved in spreading the word during National Consumer Protection Week.
To join us, RSVP on our Facebook page and get a reminder HERE. We will be featuring questions from the public and look forward to hearing from you. Please note that a recording of the broadcast will be closed captioned and added to our YouTube channel within one week.
Don’t miss this engaging opportunity to learn from the experts!