After his re-election in 2004, President George W. Bush made reforming Social Security his #1 domestic agenda. He proposed phasing out Social Security in favor of individual retirement accounts that could be invested in the stock market. Despite a strong push by lobbyists for the investment industry, the support both publicly and in Congress…
The January/February issue of the AARP Bulletin contained information regarding the long wait times for disability hearings at various Office of Hearing Operations locations, nationwide. Portland, OR is 22 months, San Francisco, CA 20 months and Dallas, TX 21 months, for example. The wait times in Michigan are much lower, at present. In the OHOs…
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…
Full staffing has been restored to Social Security’s Office of Disability Review branches. This means hearings will be scheduled, medical evidence will be exhibited, the phones will be answered and (most importantly) decisions will be written.
The catch is that ODAR employees are not being paid and won’t be until the partial government shutdown is solved so they may not be very happy employees. I was at the Valparaiso, IN ODAR this week and heard the word “involuntary servitude” used.
If you have contact with ODAR employees be nice and thank them for their service!
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