Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, received a 2013 VIDA Award from the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), a science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States. The national award honors leaders that exemplify the VIDA credo of Vision, Innovation, Dedication, and Advocacy.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today informed his employees that he will be leaving the agency next month to return to his home in Massachusetts. Commissioner Astrue has completed a six-year term and has been serving under the holdover provisions of the agency’s authorizing statute. He has served longer than any Republican Commissioner and longer than any Commissioners except Arthur J. Altmeyer (1946-53) and Robert M. Ball (1962-73).
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Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the agency is expanding the services available with a my Social Security account, a personalized online account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they receive Social Security benefits. More than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients can now access their benefit verification letter, payment history, and earnings record instantly using their online account. Social Security beneficiaries also can change their address and start or change direct deposit information online.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 35 additional Compassionate Allowances conditions are in effect, bringing the total number of conditions in the expedited disability process to 200. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. The program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.
For more information, read the Press Release.
SSA's Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) is now available online. Our FY 2012 PAR combines our annual performance report with our audited financial statements to provide full disclosure of our financial and programmatic operations. FY 2012 marks the twenty-sixth year that we have published audited financial statements and the nineteenth year that we have received an unqualified opinion on our financial statements.
Effective November 19, 2012, Social Security field offices nationwide will close to the public 30 minutes early each day. For example, a field office that is usually open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will close daily at 3:00 p.m. In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, offices will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, received the 2012 President’s Award presented by The Arc, one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States that serves and advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The President's Award honors those whose work makes a positive impact upon The Arc, its future, and the people they serve.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration announced today.
The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2012.
For more information, read the Press Release.
The Social Security Administration will add symptomatic Huntington’s Disease to its Compassionate Allowances program for adults by the end of the year. The expedited disability process will identify people with significant symptoms of this devastating neurological disease. Adult Huntington’s Disease will accompany the designation of Juvenile Huntington’s Disease as a Compassionate Allowance condition, which will be effective next month.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that in less than two months’ time, one million people have gone online, created a My Social Security account and viewed their Social Security Statement.
For more information, read the Press Release.
The Social Security Administration announced today that Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers, will electronically transmit complete medical records for its patients to the agency with the appropriate consent. Social Security requests about 70,000 patient files from Kaiser Permanente each year so this seamless new system will save time and money for both partners as well as allow Social Security to make faster and more accurate decisions.
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On Memorial Day, the Social Security Administration joins Americans in taking time to honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country and protecting our freedom. In addition, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, says the agency’s hiring of veterans has increased and there are employment opportunities right now for veterans with at least seven years as a licensed attorney who want to work for Social Security.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Jacob and Sophia are America’s most popular baby names for 2011. This is the thirteenth year in a row Jacob tops our list for boys and the first year for Sophia, who knocks Isabella to number two after a two-year stint at the top of our list for girls. There is only one new name in the top 10 on either list this year. Mason rocketed to number two from outside of the top ten to replace Anthony on the boys’ side.
For more information, read the Press Release.
I am pleased with the public’s initial response to our new online Social Security Statement. Since our May 1 launch, more than 130,000 people have successfully created an online account to access their Statement information, with the first 100,000 coming online in less than three days.
For more information, read the Press Release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced an online version of the Social Security Statement is now available at www.socialsecurity.gov. The new online Statement provides eligible workers with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information.
For more information, read the Press Release.
The Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense (DoD) are working together to improve access to disability benefits for the nation’s Wounded Warriors, service members, veterans, and their dependents. A new nationwide project enables Social Security disability case processing sites to receive military medical records from multiple DoD facilities with a single request to a centralized DoD site. As of today, this initiative is in its first phase of nationwide expansion.
For more information, read the Press Release.
For more information, read the Notice.
The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the financial health of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined assets of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds will be exhausted in 2033, three years sooner than projected last year. The DI Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2016, two years earlier than last year’s estimate. The Trustees also project that OASDI program costs will exceed non-interest income in 2012 and will remain higher throughout the remainder of the 75-year period.
For more information, read our press release.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 52 new Compassionate Allowances conditions, primarily involving neurological disorders, cancers and rare diseases. The Compassionate Allowances program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. Commissioner Astrue made the announcement during his remarks at the World Orphan Drug Congress near Washington, D.C.
For more information, read our press release.
