As a Texas Social Security Disability attorney, I try to pay attention to what’s going on in Washington so that I can ensure that my clients are prepared for what they’re likely to face when they start dealing with Social Security.
Recently, I read something that made my blood boil. In an effort to “reduce improper payments” (which really means helping the government get more money back), the SSA Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report that criticized Social Security’s policy of administrative finality.
What exactly is “administrative finality”? Basically, it’s a policy that prevents the government from continually reopening your case to take money away from you after Social Security has made a final decision and a certain amount of time has passed. The policy was designed to protect people but now the government wants Social Security to get rid of it.
It’s About Collecting More Debt
Social Security says they don’t want to change the policy because it “fosters public confidence” in them but, unfortunately, the OIG is pushing them to do just that. Apparently getting money back is more important than having the support of the public.
And that really is what it’s all about. The OIG only started this investigation because the legislature made changes in the law to bring in more money, and the report flat out states that they want Social Security to alter their policy “to allow for the collection of more debt.”
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We Pay for Their Mistakes
The thing is, Social Security already has plenty of time to collect money and revise their decisions. If they make a mistake even after all of this, why should the disabled individuals have to pay for it? Social Security seems to understand this but the government and the OIG are backing them into a corner. Due to outside pressure, they’ve agreed to reevaluate their policy, though only time will tell what that really means.
With all of these potential changes on the horizon, it’s more important than ever for people filing claims to do so only after speaking with an experienced Texas Social Security Disability attorney. For more information on Social Security Disability please check out our free eBook The Social Security Disability Puzzle. Contact Marc Whitehead today to learn more about how we can help.
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