Recent News

• Information from Your Social Security Statement is a Helpful Tool

  The Social Security benefits information mailed out each year was intended to help people plan for retirement by showing just how much they could expect to receive in Social Security benefits upon retirement. However, to cut costs, those statements will no longer be mailed, at least for the remainder of 2011 and 2012. …MORE

• Social Security Disability Reviews to Will Cut Costs for the Program

  The deficit reduction deal contained spending cuts that included a provision for reviewing Social Security Disability claims. Designed to identify claimants no longer in need, the program is expected to result in reduced costs. In the past, the review process has been bottle-necked by a lack of funding. The Social Security Administration (SSA) says they have a current backlog of roughly 1.4 million cases. …MORE

• Small Business Owners Should Not Neglect Social Security Disability Insurance

  One of the most common errors people make in their financial portfolio is a lack of disability insurance. While many large corporations offer disability protection, some independent, small businesspeople don’t see it as a necessary expense. Most people can expect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to kick in, but the level of financial compensation is not nearly enough to replace a full-time salary. Therefore, it is necessary to consider other short and long-term disability insurance options.

  To read more about this story, please visit: Florida Today

• Dysthymia Impacts Work, Family, and Likelihood of Collecting Government Benefits

  Dysthymia is a chronic mild form of depression characterized by persistent feelings of hopelessness, irritability, low self-esteem, and lack of energy that lasts for over two years. A study performed by the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University found that people who suffer from dysthymia were likely to work less and more likely to receive Medicaid or Social Security disability benefits than people with acute depression. Chronic depression of any kind needs ongoing treatment and care.

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• Blind, Homeless Teen Grows up to be Inspirational Speaker

  Robert Kingett isn’t an ordinary 21 year old college student. He has overcome cerebral palsy, blindness, an abusive childhood, and homelessness to become a popular motivational speaker. Tallahassee Homeless Speakers Bureau coordinator Mary Weil says the homeless speakers program helps to put a face on homeless people and demonstrate to the public that homeless people are ordinary people without homes. Social Security benefits have helped Robert survive so that he can spread his positive message.

  To read more about this story, please visit: Florida Today

• Some Recommend Overhauls to SSDI in Order to Save Social Security

  Social Security has been the subject of much debate, since its funding concerns nearly every retiree, but less has been said of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a program already in trouble. SSDI is designed to help people who have recently worked, but are now disabled. The Social Security Administration predicts that the program cannot survive beyond 2027 without significant changes. Suggested improvements include vocational rehabilitation, health care to address the underlying cause of the disability, re-evaluation of disability standards, and continuing case reviews.

  To read more about this story, please visit: World Press