SSA

NOSSCR explains how eliminating unnecessary redundancies in the electronic signature process can improve efficiency at SSA.

Veterans who have already been deemed disabled by the Veterans Administration are having their Social Security disability claims denied.

NOSSCR Interim CEO David Camp will be testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee about how long wait times are harming Social Security disability claimants.

Do you remember that scene in the movie Top Gun when the fighter jet just barely sticks the landing on the aircraft carrier – a tiny strip of concrete in a vast, blue ocean? If your immediate reaction was, “That’s something I’d love to try,” you might want to first check with NOSSCR’s new government…

“Soaring to Greater Heights of Service” is a key tenet for the work of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the nation’s oldest African American sorority. As a former president of one of the sorority’s four Washington, D.C., chapters, it’s also an approach that NOSSCR’s new membership manager, Donna Davis, is excited to bring to her…

When President Biden signed the FY23 Omnibus bill into law on December 29, much of the media attention focused on the fact that Congress and the Administration had avoided a government shutdown and would not need to pass another continuing resolution. Lost in that coverage, however, was an important victory for Americans with disabilities. Included…

While most Americans were focused on the holiday season and making plans for New Year’s Eve, Congress and the White House finalized the FY23 Omnibus spending bill, avoiding a potential government shutdown. The all-encompassing spending bill passed the U.S. Senate 68-29, with the House following up the next day with a 225-201 vote for passage.…

A recent article in the Washington Post brought much-needed light to the Social Security Administration’s practice of using an obsolete job listings publication to deny disability benefits to claimants. Social Security uses the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, containing thousands of entries that haven’t been updated in more than 40 years. Many of the jobs –…

On behalf of the NOSSCR staff and board, we want to wish you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with joy, love and laughter.

The NOSSCR PAC had a very successful 2022 election cycle. Our PAC contributed to 37 campaigns from both political parties and 100% of our candidates won their races. This included incumbent members of key U.S. House and Senate committees that impact Social Security policy. With divided power in Congress, NOSSCR will have both challenges and…

Guest Blog By: Susan Michele Schaefer, Cardea Law Group, LLC Every year, one week before Thanksgiving, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week brings to light the struggles many people have with hunger and lack of shelter. As part of the awareness effort, I am sharing my experience helping the homeless and others facing barriers with…

This week’s announcement that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be increasing the ALJ jurisdictional authorization limit for fee petitions to $12,000 was a major victory for NOSSCR members. The new limit will be effective on November 30, 2022. “We understand how this limit effectively works as a cap for representatives who routinely request the…

This Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), SSI is a vital lifeline for older Americans and people with disabilities that helps them put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads by providing modest income support. The maximum monthly…

The Social Security Administration announced this morning that Social Security beneficiaries will receive an 8.7 percent increase in 2023. That is good news for people with disabilities and older Americans who rely on Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits. The average Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit is expected to increase from $1,364/month in…

NOSSCR President David Camp was quoted in a Washington Post story this morning that provided a stinging critique of the Social Security Administration. The article exposed the widespread impact the agency’s decline in service has had for people applying for disability and other benefits. Among the facts included in the article were: During the first…

The U.S. Senate version of the bill to keep the federal government funded beyond September 30 includes $400 million for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The so-called “anomaly” included in the Continuing Resolution will prevent SSA from having to institute a hiring freeze and cut overtime pay for employees. While NOSSCR and the disability community…

The U.S. Senate has released a draft of its FY23 appropriations package with subcommittee breakdowns, and it includes some important gains for the Social Security Administration. NOSSCR was pleased to see increased funding for the Limitation on Administrative Expenses. However, the proposed funding levels are lower than those in the U.S. House of Representatives’ funding…

Three U.S. Senators have written a letter to Kilolo Kiijakazi, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, urging the department to improve its outreach to parents of children with disabilities who might be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 11 million children across the nation live in…

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week related to what they called “unnecessary processing delays” for some claimants’ Social Security disability cases. The lack of consistency in expediting cases has been a source of frustration for many NOSSCR members and their clients. This new report sheds light on some of the…

The Appropriations Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives passed its FY23 ‘Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill’ last week. This is the bill that contains funding for the work of the Social Security Administration (SSA). NOSSCR was pleased to see that the SSA received an increase in funding for…

A recent editorial in The Hill newspaper made a strong argument as to why Congress should consider legislation that updates the asset limits for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Hill is a prominent, nonpartisan Capitol Hill media outlet that is read by staff in nearly all congressional offices. The editorial’s authors, Kathleen Romig from the…

Through four Social Security commissioners over more than thirteen years, NOSSCR has worked diligently to raise the fee cap – and today we reached our goal! We are thrilled to deliver this victory to all the Social Security disability representatives who deserve it and for whom it is long overdue. When Acting Commissioner Dr. Kilolo…

Social Security disability practices across the country are suffering from the stagnant fee cap and slow and low-paying fee petition reviews; it is significantly eroding firms’ abilities to fairly compensate attorneys and staff. Charlie Hall, a Social Security disability attorney and longtime NOSSCR member in North Carolina, believes the stagnant fee cap is dangerous to…

The Social Security Administration (SSA) published a new supplementary fact sheet for disability benefit recipients titled “Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Other Benefits: Information for People with Limited Earnings.” In it, SSA details other programs and resources for people who receive SSI, including: SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) for help with food purchases. Medicare Savings…

NOSSCR’s new and improved automated lawyer referral service opens today! We’re excited to provide this new service for our members to generate new leads for many more potential Social Security disability clients. The new automated system tracks the caller’s area code and rotates through disability representatives who registered to receive calls from that code. The…

Many of you have had trouble accessing electronic files through Appointed Representative Services (ARS) over the past two days. NOSSCR has been in communication with SSA, who advises: “At this time, some representatives may not be able to access, upload, download or view their claimant’s electronic folder. If representatives are encountering this issue, they can…

I am often asked, what is the number one thing that a disability representative can do to increase their political influence on Capitol Hill? Without a doubt, the best thing to do to increase your political influence is to develop personal relationships with your Members of Congress and other elected leaders in your community. I…

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) field offices reopened to the public on April 7, 2022 after more than two years of near-total closures. People who need to interact with SSA now have another means of doing so, in addition to the existing telephone, internet, and fax options. Reopening field offices will be helpful to many…

NOSSCR’s Director of Policy and Administrative Advocacy Stacy Cloyd has just learned that as of the end of February there were 1,010,764 claims pending at Disability Determination Services (DDSs) across the country. DDSs are the agencies in each state that determines the disability status of claimants for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The cases pending…

It’s possible that more than half of covid survivors experience lingering symptoms for at least half a year after their initial infection. The impact ranges in severity and for some sufferers the experience is truly devastating. NOSSCR truly understands the impacts of long-term disabilities and is proud to endorse the CARE for Long COVID Act, legislation…

Starting in early April, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will add more in-person appointments and offer in-person service for people without an appointment. During the pandemic, millions of people used my SSA, a secure and convenient online service portal, and received help by phone and in offices by appointment. SSA recommends that people continue to…

When Frances Perkins was nominated by President Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933 to be the Secretary of Labor, she presented him with a list of programs for which she intended to fight: the 40-hour week, minimum wage, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, Social Security, a federal ban on child labor, and health insurance. “Nothing like this has…

Our dedicated Government Affairs team has been hard at work advocating for the Work Without Worry Act (H.R. 4003 & S. 2108).  This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would ensure that all disabled adult children (DAC) would be able to explore their ability to work without risking their future DAC benefits. For context, an adult who lives…

This Presidents’ Day, we honor the nuance and complexity within our history and leaders. While many people know that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) spearheaded and oversaw the passage of the Social Security Act of 1935, fewer realize that the concept was brought to America by his cousin, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, in the early…

As February is Black History Month, we’re taking some time to reflect on the black community’s unique intersections with Social Security and how history can inform future equity. One clear and simple truth that arises upon reflection is that raising the full Social Security retirement age would disproportionately hurt people of color and erase the…

We are heading towards a dismal threshold; at the state agencies the Social Security Administration (SSA) contracts with for initial-level medical determinations and the first level of appeals (called reconsideration), there will soon be over a million cases awaiting decisions. At the end of December 2021, there were 971,426 pending cases: 776,660 initial claims and…

There have been a number of recent developments that indicate Social Security disability claimants will have better access to offices and hearings in the near future. As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, these developments are positive steps towards addressing the significant barriers to services people with disabilities encounter. The Social Security…

While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is best-known for his activism fighting racial injustice, he had an equally powerful commitment to righting economic inequalities. In his Nobel Peace Prize lecture in the winter of 1964, Dr. King said “This problem of poverty is not only seen in the class division between the highly developed industrial nations and…

As we enter 2022, the second session of the 117th Congress is beginning.  While much of Washington, DC is still focused on the pandemic and continuing efforts to reach a deal on President Biden’s Build Back Better legislation, NOSSCR remains focused on its top two priorities: raising the fee cap for Social Security disability representatives…

Last week, President Biden released an Executive Order (EO) titled Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government with the broad goal of using technology to modernize Government services so that they are “simple to use, accessible, equitable, protective, transparent, and responsive for all people of the United States.” Further, several…

On December 7, 2021, House Ways & Means Social Security Subcommittee, chaired by John Larson (D-CT), held a hearing titled “The Fierce Urgency of Now – Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust.” Click here to view the recordings, review the witness list, and read the testimony. The following is a synopsis of some of the…

On December 5, Senator Robert Joseph Dole passed away in his sleep at the age of 98. He served the United States loyally for 79 years, including serving in World War II where he sustained life-altering injuries while overseas. The aftermath of his injuries shaped his life’s mission and legacy. While stationed in Italy in…

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) draft plan for starting to reopen was recently published – click here to read it.  This “pre-decisional” document is not necessarily final, and it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. We know that senior SSA staff will begin to return to in-person work on December 1, 2021, with most other…

The Appointed Representative Services (ARS) Hearing Office provided NOSSCR this status report on Monday, November 22, from the Social Security Administration (SSA): “Over the weekend a change made to our case processing system caused an issue with ARS. The Hearing Office Status Report is currently unavailable for appointed representatives. We are actively working to resolve…

Author’s Note: I write these words as a testament in dedication to my father, Pedro J. Cruz-Cruz, a Korean War Era Veteran, and to my more than 15 cousins from Puerto Rico or Puerto Rican origin who have served or are serving in the military, with passion and conviction for the preservation of our freedom…

On Tuesday, November 9, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments in the case of United States v. Vaello-Madero. This case began after the federal government filed suit against Jose Luis Vaello Madero to recover $28k in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits paid to him after he moved from New…

In Social Security disability law, it’s a poorly kept secret that a dwindling number of younger attorneys are entering the field. Michael Liner is a notable exception; after just two years of working at another firm, he opened his own practice that now has branches throughout Ohio. “I’m nervous that if we don’t replenish with…

NOSSCR supports the reintroduction of the Social Security 2100 legislation. This important legislation ensures the modernization of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the future solvency of the program. NOSSCR is especially pleased that the bill addresses NOSSCR’s top legislative priorities, increasing the fee cap for claimants’ representatives and ending the five-month wait before claimants…

As a Social Security disability representative, finding new clients can be challenging. While some practitioners find paying for leads effective, it is only one strategy of many. Building local relationships, goodwill, and name recognition will go a long way in keeping your incoming flow of inquiries strong. Here’s why: Most people make decisions by leaning…

What is a typical day for me as NOSSCR’s Executive Director? It’s a simple question, but it does not have a simple answer. No two days are the same for me. I began as the staff attorney at NOSSCR in 1992. I worked hard for the organization and its members for 21 years before becoming…

On the morning of Wednesday, October 13, you can tune in to listen to live oral arguments in the case of Babcock v. Kijakazi. There will also be transcripts and an audio recording released soon after. This case addresses the question of whether certain civilian employees of the National Guard, known as “military technician (dual…

Today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a redesign to the Social Security Statement beneficiaries can access in their online portal, my Social Security. The new format uses simpler language and clear visuals. It also more clearly shows users information about disability benefits. The online statement includes a prominently-displayed estimate for what Social Security Disability…

As you may know, last night, President Biden signed a continuing resolution that has prevented a widespread government shutdown. The continuing resolution generally funds programs at the same level that they were funded during fiscal year 2021. It is important to note that the continuing resolution only funds the government till December 3, 2021. This means that…

Nearly a decade ago, Stacy Cloyd was attending NOSSCR conferences while working at a legal clinic. “I realized how much more there was to know about Social Security,” she says. “There are relatively few people who specialize in Social Security. To hear from people who were really experts in this field and have spent many…

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case of United States v. Vaello-Madero on November 9 and this case will determine if residents of Puerto Rico are entitled to access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) under the Fifth Amendment. AARP, Justice in Aging, and NOSSCR filed an amicus brief, available here,  supporting the…

Before George Piemonte became the well-known host of our vocational webinar series or the president of NOSSCR’s board, he was a newly minted attorney dissatisfied with the format of jury trials and exploring practicing Social Security disability law instead. “The hearings generally took an hour or so – much better than the days for a…

All members are invited to join us on October 19th, from 2pm to 4pm eastern time, for our “Virtual Day of Advocacy, Training, and Action”! Our Director of Political and Legislative Strategy Michael Linskey will take you through the ins and outs of advocating on behalf of yourself and your clients on the Hill, in…

Executive Director Barbara Silverstone will be moderating a panel at the Social Security Administration(SSA)‘s National Disability Forum (NDF) on September 15 titled “Equity in Claimant Representation”! On the panel will be several NOSSCR members as well. To register to watch by September 13, go to bit.ly/3gQXzOo. To learn more, visit ssa.gov/ndf. The purpose of the…

The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), whose members are attorneys and non-attorneys who represent people in Social Security disability claims, strongly and unequivocally support including long-overdue improvements to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program in the reconciliation package that is currently being drafted. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides critical income assistance to…

Having a disability should not prevent you from getting married. Yet, for many Americans who qualify as Disabled Adult Children (DAC) and receive Social Security disability or receive SSI benefits based on disability, that is exactly what’s happening. The New York Times has published an article that covers the “outdated ideas that have marginalized the…

Earlier this week, Forbes published an article from Andrew Pulrang exploring the impact that disabled voters could have on the 2022 elections. With control of both chambers of Congress in play this November, a bloc of voters in a handful of states could decide which party controls the legislative branch of government next year. And…

NOSSCR’s recommendations for addressing SSA's backlog in processing claims seemed to resonate with lawmakers across the aisle.

NOSSCR has hired Tom Krause as Litigation Director.

Last week, NOSSCR leaders took to the House Ways and Means Committee floor to amplify the voices of those often relegated to whispers: Social Security disability applicants.

It was 1935 and the nation was suffering through the Great Depression. Millions of Americans were out of work and struggling to feed their families. In August of that year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law one of the most consequential bills in the country’s history – the 1935 Social Security Act. This month…

With two weeks left in the federal government’s fiscal year, congressional staff are working feverishly to reach agreement on a Continuing Resolution (CR) that would fund the government beyond September 30. At this point, NOSSCR officials are hearing that the length of the CR hasn’t been finalized, however it is widely expected to extend at…

Please note that SSA Emergency Message (EM) 20022 has been extended until June 13, 2024. This EM provides guidance on how the agency must process electronic signatures on certain forms. You can view the complete language of the EM here. If you find that SSA is not properly following this EM, please record the details…

The budget crisis at SSA continues to hurt the most vulnerable among us, with administrative delays, redundancies, and overpayment clawbacks that put the onus on beneficiaries to correct the agency’s errors. Public pressure is building for SSA and Congress to improve this dysfunctional system, including a 60 Minutes segment last month and a more recent…

On December 20, 2023, Martin J. O’Malley was sworn in as Commissioner of Social Security. He will serve until January 19, 2025. After more than two years of leadership uncertainty and instability at SSA, O’Malley’s decisive confirmation is a sign that the agency is moving in a more stable and functional direction.  “I am honored…

Our interim CEO, David Camp, recently appeared on Good Morning Arizona to address the problem of Social Security’s clawbacks of benefit payments. Recipients face additional stresses and unneeded burdens. Modernization at the Social Security Administration would help resolve overpayments accurately and timely, including those that should be waived. Watch the full segment here:

The Social Security Administration has released data showing a shocking disparity: Current and former disability recipients – just 4% of the U.S. population – made up 26% of excess deaths during the first 22 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Put another way, those receiving benefits are 6.5 times more likely to die of COVID infection…

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2024 — The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) today announced that David Camp has been hired as Chief Executive Officer. Camp has been serving as the organization’s interim CEO for the past five months. He brings decades of experience to the role, including more than 25 years as…

As our members know all too well, Social Security is a vital social safety net, the importance of which cannot be overstated. Yet solvency of the Social Security trust fund remains a looming issue. At NOSSCR, we encourage a bipartisan exchange of ideas to find the right solutions to protect and enhance Social Security.   In…

As the 2024 Presidential Election draws nearer, candidates have had a lot to say about Social Security. This piece in the New York Times fact checks statements made by President Joe Biden, former President Donald J. Trump, Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on their plans for…

Excessive hold-times and administrative delays consistently rank at the top of the list among our members when it comes to annoyances in working with the SSA. But we also know it is far more than an annoyance. The SSA’s inability to address the very real problem of these delays has a tangible impact on our…

Overpayments from SSA – and the hardship that clawbacks inflict on vulnerable people – continue to garner public attention. Pittsburgh-based WPXI has been covering the problem of overpayments, and recently highlighted the effects on current and retired public employees: We talked to Ron Bonasso, a retired postal worker who says at age 71, his Social…

NOSSCR recognizes the unique challenges that those suffering from Long COVID face when navigating the Social Security disability process. Social Security has always been slow to recognize the severity of “invisible illnesses,” and Long COVID is no exception. Long COVID sufferers struggle to prove that their symptoms are disabling because many evade objective measurement, and…

On February 21, 2024, we brought together NOSSCR and NADR leadership to meet with Commissioner Martin O’Malley at his office in Baltimore. We had a productive discussion with the Commissioner about pressing issues, including the fee cap, and we’re pleased to announce that we achieved general agreement: the Social Security representative fee cap will soon…

As the issue of overpayments commands more public attention, the media turns to NOSSCR to lend expertise and depth to this systemic problem. NOSSCR CEO David Camp shared insights in a recent CNBC report examining changes the Social Security Administration is making to its repayment program. The new rules apply to overpayments, which are triggered…