Senator Bernie Sanders to the Rescue!

Former (and probably future) Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has recently introduced a bill optimistically entitled the Social Security Administration Fairness Act that proposes to touch on some of my chief areas concern that I have blogged about in the past where the agency often struggles to fulfill its mandate.

What Would the Social Security Administration Fairness Act Do?

First off, it would set the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) minimum funding number at 1.5 percent per beneficiary, which would be a substantial improvement over the current figure of 1.3 percent.  According to Sen. Sanders, the agency’s funding has dropped some 34 percent per beneficiary since the 1970s, equating to that 1.3 percent figure per beneficiary number.  Now, that guaranteed .2% of additional funding may not look impressive, but if you were to apply it to last year’s expenditure of $952.5 billion, you are starting to talk about some real money.

If the proposal eventually succeeds and becomes the law of the land, still a big if at this point, it would also address one of my frequent pet peeves I often encounter in my SSA practice -- the extraordinary amount of time it takes the agency to work through DIB applications.  Namely, it would eliminate the current 5-month waiting period DIB recipients have to endure after being approved for benefits before receiving their monthly monetary stipend and also eliminate the one-year waiting period before their Medicare coverage kicks in.

Finally, it would work to keep SSA field offices open.  Currently the agency has an overall staff size of about 60,000, a fraction of which work at the local level in some of the 1,230 field offices nationwide.  Those are the offices you can visit in person to get SSA issues addressed personally. One of the probably apocryphal stories I’ve heard over the years (often from SSA employees themselves) is that the SSA now employees fewer people than it did in the seventies.

To this point, Sen. Sanders claims the SSA has lost more than 10,000 employees since 2010, forcing the closure of some 10 percent of those field offices, which is a significant contributor to the delay in processing all claims.  The field offices I deal with have also occasionally and permanently reduced the work hours in which you can contact them.

If Sen. Sander’s proposal actually fixes any one of these issues it would be a great improvement over the current state of affairs.

If you or your child have been denied SSA disability benefits or suffer from a severe impairment that is expected to last for more than twelve months and that prevents you from doing any of your past or other work or is causing developmental delay in your child, please contact our office nearest to you to set up a free consultation appointment to discuss your situation.

Share This Page

Bond & Botes Law Offices

At Bond & Botes, we now offer full service bankruptcy consultation and filing over the phone or by video from the comfort and safety of your home or office. Please call 1-877-581-3396 or click here to setup your free phone or video consultation.

The lawyers at the Bond & Botes affiliated offices serve clients at offices in Anniston, Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika, Decatur, Huntsville, Florence, Haleyville and Gadsden, Alabama; Vicksburg, Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi. Read our disclaimer here. You can view our Privacy Policy here.

Alabama Offices

Birmingham

2107 5th Avenue North
Age-Herald Building
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: (205) 802-2200


Shelby County Location
15 Southlake Lane, Ste 140
Birmingham, AL 35244
Phone: (205) 802-2200


Florence Location
121 S. Court Street
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: (256) 760-1010


Huntsville Location
225 Pratt Avenue NE
Huntsville, AL 35801
Phone: (256) 539-9899


Montgomery Location
311 Catoma Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: (334) 264-3363


Decatur Location
605 Bank Street
Decatur, AL 35601
Phone: (256) 355-2447


Haleyville Location
914 19th St.
Haleyville, AL 35565
Phone: (205) 486-3580


Gadsden Location
430-B Chestnut Street
Gadsden, AL 35901
Phone: (256) 485-0195


Opelika Location
216 South 8th Street
Opelika 36801
Phone: (334) 887-7666


Anniston Location
1302 Noble St #2C
Anniston, AL 36201
Phone: (256) 344-3559


Cullman Location
200 Second Avenue SW
Cullman, AL 35055
Phone: (256) 739-9866


Mississippi Offices

Jackson Location
5760 I-55 North, Ste 100
Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: (601) 353-5000


Hattiesburg Location
607 Corinne St, Ste B8
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone: (601) 264-7200


Vicksburg Location
1212 Farmer Street
Vicksburg, MS 39180
Phone: (601) 353-5000

© 2024 by Bond & Botes Law Offices. All rights reserved. Disclaimer | Privacy Policy