What to Expect from the Social Security Agency this Year

This year, recipients would have a lot of good news to expect from the Social Security Agency. Breaking off the records of 2009, recipients see bigger payments this current year. Take a look at some of the great changes to expect from the agency for the next twelve months:

• Higher Monthly Benefits
As announced last year, a 3.6 percent increase of social security income could be expected by the very first month of 2012. It is actually the first increase since 2009. A common beneficiary is expected to receive an increase of $43 per month. The Cost of Living Adjustments which started way back in 1975 have ranged from 14.3 percent in 1980 to zero in 2011.

• Higher Social Security Capacity Tax Capital
The social security capacity tax capital is expecting an increase of $110,100 in 2012 from the $106,000 in 2011. Said increase would be as a result of the nearly 10 million high wage earners paying higher taxes.

• Social Security Tax Holiday – Temporarily Extended
The wage earners’ 2 percent cut in payroll tax was recently extended until the first two months of the current year as amended by the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011. Instead of paying the usual 6.2 percent of their pay in the social security fund, the approximately 160 million wage earners will continue to pay only 4.2 percent until February 2012.

• Higher Limits on Earnings
Though earning a $480 social security benefit while working and collecting the monthly payment is good news, there is also not-so-bad news associated with the announcement of higher limits on earnings. Here, a part of the recipients’ social security benefit will be temporarily held back. The agency has since provided its own good reason for doing so.

• Benefits to Grow in Maximum Increase
To get a maximum growth in benefits, a wage earner needs to earn the maximum taxable amount every year after reaching the age of twenty-one. A maximum wage earner can expect a growth of $2,513 per month in 2012, up from $2,366 in 2011.

With these aforementioned facts, many beneficiaries filing for social security disability would definitely be glad spreading this news. Through the years, the agency had suffered many ups and downs. This year, a fruitful year is expected by the recipients of Social Security.

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Trenton Man About to Spend a Decade in Jail for Stealing Social Security Disability Benefit

A 55-year old Trenton man is about to face his 10–year jail sentence after the court judge ruled over the lawsuit filed against him.

On April 26, John Bethea is about to report to the federal jail to start accomplishing his 10–year jail sentence after the US District Judge Joel A. Pisano decided on his theft of government funds and misrepresentation of social security number case.

According to the court papers, Bethea stole about $90,000 in social security disability benefits by using his brother’s social security number. Bethea started receiving social security disability benefits since August 9, 1991 while working for three different employers in New Jersey. He earned more than $188,000 without informing the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Bethea even used his brother’s social security number to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license with his brother’s name and picture. He used that fraudulent license to obtain a job under his brother’s identity. The same also enables Bethea to continue receiving Social Security disability benefits while working.

When Bethea sustained an injury at the workplace, he used that same identity to collect another $28,000 for worker’s compensation.

However, nothing really lasts forever Bethea was eventually caught in his fraudulent act. During his litigation, Bethea pleaded guilty for all the charges against him and agreed to pay restitution to the social security amounting to $89,216 and repayments to Amguard Insurance Co. for the worker’s compensation at about $28,436.

Now, Bethea will be spending a decade in jail after enjoying himself in receiving both the social security benefits and worker’s compensation.

Bethea failed to realize then that even if he surpassed the lawsuits that may likely be filed when he is caught, the money he collected through those years will not be sufficient for the attorney’s fees and other litigation costs. He shall definitely needs a well-experienced professional lawyer, like the Los Angeles disability law attorneys to plea for his misdeeds

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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Claims Soar as Unemployment Benefits Dip Down

As unemployment benefits dropped down, social security disability claims rose in number in the United States.

Looking back on the situation in 2007, 3.4 million Americans have been added to the lists of the recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance. Presently, there are about 10.6 million American receiving SSDI benefits which have brought an alarm to the community with respect to the social security trust fund drainage by 2017 since the same funding also provides people an access to Medicare and other health insurances.

According to a recent study, most Americans applying for SSDI ran out of unemployment benefits before they applied for the program.

According to Professor Mark Duggan of Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, the SSDI benefits program has been greatly affected by the recessing economy. The duration and size of an economic recession influence the impact on SSDI.

Duggan added that if examined closely, SSDI accounts for less than 20 percent of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) expenditures. There’s a big difference if it would be compared to that of 10 percent 20 years ago.

Since people ran out of unemployment benefits, they see the SSDI as an alternative way to earn for their living. Despite of repeated denials, people are more likely to appeal their SSDI rejections because of the strong necessities.

In his statement, Duggan further explained that the coverage of SDDI has widely extended. A couple of decades ago, SSDI programs only pay benefits to people with cancer, heart disease, strokes, mental disorders among others, but now, SSDI also pays for more illnesses that were not have ever been covered before.

So, this entirely explains the notable raise in Social Security Disability Insurance and the decrease in unemployment rate. In connection with the rapidly increasing SSDI claimants, SSA is on its way to eliminate the claimants by thoroughly filtering them during the application process.

Once an SSDI claimant is denied, he or she may file for an appeal and may consult with Social Security disability lawyers whom teach them how to answer questions given by the agency’s administrative law judge (ALJ).

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