Web News - January 2010

January 21, 2010

Author: Catherine M. Callery (Kate)| Louise M. Tarantino

2010 SSI Benefits Levels Available

Since there was no COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) recipients in 2010, the benefits levels will stay the same in 2010.  See the Disability Law News, November 2009.  But if you want your very own copy of the SSI Benefit Level Chart specifically designed for 2010, you can obtain it at http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/directives/2009/INF/09-INF-22.pdf

Want to Know Who Is Dead or Alive?

Are you trying to find out if a client, ex-spouse, old high school sweetheart or anyone else of interest is dead or alive? There are a number of “death indexes” available to   provide you with this information.  Who knew???

http://www.deathindexes.com/ssdi.html
www.legacy.com
http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi

Find Out What Symptoms May Mean

Since most of us are not doctors or other health care providers, we may need some help interpreting common symptoms our clients may complain of.  This is especially true if we are not happy with the health care professional’s diagnosis of those symptoms, for example, someone with dilated pupils must be a drug user.  Enter an informative website on possible diagnoses for a variety of symptoms, and you may find an alternative answer that fits your client’s situation.  www.wrongdiagnosis.com

Win, Lose or Draw: How Your ALJ Has Decided Cases

Recent articles from a Delaware newspaper highlight the dismal plight of numerous Social Security claimants who have been waiting enormous lengths of time for decisions, only to have most of their cases denied.  Included in the article is a link to a national database of ALJ allowance and denial rates between 2005 and 2008.  Statistics are ordered by hearing office locations, by state and by ALJ.  http://php.delawareonline.com/federal/alj.php

Deciphering SSA Codes

Reading - or rather trying to interpret - SSA printouts can be like reading hieroglyphics.  This link provides 456 pages of explanations of the codes used in the Master Beneficiary Record, the Supplement Security Record, Payment History System Update Record, Quarters of Coverage file, and more:  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/nchs_ssa_data_codebook_2009.pdf