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     From the portions of  the President's proposed budget concerning Social Security: ... Reduce improper payments caused by barriers for beneficiaries to report income and assets. The Budget proposes to reduce improper payments in disability programs by targeting administrative resources to the development of a uniform system of reporting in mySocialSecurity. This is in addition to instituting a holistic view that provides all ben eficiaries� data, including income and assets, in one electronic location, while simultaneously developing a network of automated processes across other IT platforms for work-related benefit payment adjust ments, work continuing disability reviews, redeter minations, and payments to Ticket to Work provid ers. In addition, future related legislative changes to address the root causes of these improper payments could include requiring suspension of benefits when beneficiaries negl...

     The New York Post has published a letter from a woman seeking help with a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) problem. Her circumstances are a bit unusual but the problem or at least the reduced payment problem is common. Here�s an excerpt from the letter: Maria [her disabled daughter] turned 18 in November, and we applied for her disability on Sept. 5, 2019. At the request of the Social Security office, we returned for a follow up on Dec. 5. During the visit, I had explained to the officer that Maria would be paying $325 a month for rent and an additional $145 for utility expenses.   The officer told me not to worry about the delay in receiving payments, and that the Social Security office would pay retroactively to October 2019.   Yesterday, I received an SSI check dated Dec. 27, 2019, for Maria for $514. I have tried to contact both the local office and the main Social Security office to find out why the payment is for the reduced amount and why there is...

     The Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) , the major umbrella group of organizations that help the disabled, has issued three recent statements concerning Social Security. CCD opposes the plan to increase the frequency and alter the targeting of continuing disability reviews. CCD supports expanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam and Samoa. (By the way, does anyone know the status of litigation on this issue?) CCD supports ending the five month waiting period for Disability Insurance Benefits.

     From the Columbus Dispatch : People with developmental or intellectual disabilities often face the prospect of losing a portion of their disability benefits if they marry. Sherri and Bill Adams finally were able to wed this month after a years-long fight, and they�re pushing for a law to help others. ... But the so-called marriage penalty remains an obstacle for many couples in the United States. The new Mr. and Mrs. Adams, who took their fight to marry public with an online petition drive in 2016 , vow to keep pushing for what they and others see as a matter of civil rights. �Although we found a loophole in our situation, we will not give up,� Bill said. �There are a lot of couples who are still unable to get married, and that is still not right.� The disability community�s long-running battle for change gained support last year with bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress to protect the federal benefits of people with intellectual or developme...

     From Robert Farrington, writing for the Washington Post : Living with a disability comes with all kinds of challenges, but the financial impact of being unable to work can be absolutely devastating. Imagine not being able to support yourself due to your disability, but also not being able to save money so you can continue qualifying for government aid including Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To qualify for SSI, your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. No matter how you cut it, that�s not very much. This situation creates a kind of forced poverty for many individuals with a disability and the family members who care for them. But many experts say that the 529 ABLE Account, which was first introduced in 2014, can help curb this ongoing problem. ... Contribution limits are extremely generous. With a 529 ABLE Account, individuals with disabilities are able to save up to $15,000 per year in 2...

     From Emergency Message EM-19032 : This emergency message (EM) provides instructions on how to handle inquiries from a one-time notice that was sent to correctional and mental health reporters and facilities. On October 25, 2019, SSA mailed a one-time notice to participating correctional and mental health reporters and facilities to inform them of a change to Title XVI incentive payments. This letter is a follow-up and reminder sent to the original notice we previously sent to correctional and mental health reporters on July 2, 2018. ... The new Title XVI incentive payment rules provide the following: For every Title XVI recipient we suspend due to the inmate information provided, we will pay the institution: � $400 for information received within 15 days of the confinement; or � $200 for information received after 15 days but within 90 days after confinement. ...