Direct Deposit and ETA

The safest way to receive Social Security benefits seems to be through direct deposit. "Your money is protected. Government agencies have rules to protect you in case of an error. The Social Security Administration has used Direct Deposit since 1976 and has never lost a payment. Plus, your money is protected up to $100,000 per depositor if it is deposited in a Federally insured institution."

Now, another tool has been added: ETA. This is an option, especially anyone with bad credit:

"An ETA Provider is required to open an ETA for any recipient of a Federal benefit, wage, salary, or retirement payment regardless of credit history, unless

(1) the financial institution is aware that the individual previously held an ETA that was closed because of fraud at any financial institution, or;

(2) the institution, for reasons of fraud or account misuse, previously closed an ETA held by the individual at that institution."

Carrying large amounts of cash is not always safe and both of these options provide one with a safe way to receive their benefits. Click here to see who provides these ETA services in your state.

WAITING - Statistics and Rankings for an ALJ Hearing in Omaha

Information effective July 1, 2008 identified the Omaha office of Hearings and Appeals as one in a group of 147 offices across the country. These offices are assigned to hear claims for disability, and the Omaha office is understaffed as the rankings reveal. The hearing is the "3rd step" in a claim for disability, indicating that two previous denials have been issued. That is, the "processing time" in the report only reflects the time the file was at the Omaha office from beginning to end, that is, from start to finish it is longer if the claim gets this far.

The magic numbers:
601 days for processing time
112 - rank of 147 other offices.

Indianapolis ranked last and the processing time is 896 days.

I am a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) and their recent newsletter published this information that was obtained from the Social Security Administration.

Health Care Coverage for Qualified Children Developed by the State of Nebraska

Many of my clients while waiting for the Social Security "process" to finsh (i.e., receive the benefits that they deserve) apply for this benefit in the State of Nebraka. It is called "Kids Connection." It is intended to provide health insurance for minors. The requirement : based primarily on your family's income. Follow this link to the homepage of Kids Connection, and you can evaluate whether you can or should apply. In a stroke of genius by an administrative agency, the Application is brief and easy to complete. Click "Application" for the link to the PDF form to apply.

DSI to be DOA?

Is DSI (Disability Service Improvement, See previous post: 8/24/06) destined to be DOA (Dead on Arrival)?

Personally, I hope not. If it can provide the lofty goals it aspires to, happy days are here again. Yet, turning the ocean-liner Queen Mary 180 degrees, is not easy, and it is slow. It requires careful attention, and an attentive crew and Captain. The Captain, Jo Anne B. Barnhart, ends her tour of duty in January, 2007. Then what?

DSI is Barnhart's solution to the disability process that has become slower, and slower, and slower.

In a separate move, using technology, "paperless" files, are expected to speed up the process. This change has been going through implementation for several years. Long delays spent "searching for the file" led the Commissioner to this move. A bold, and innovative, step into the future. Certainly, it will solve the problem of lost files. Hopefully, it will not create a new set of problems not anticipated.

At present, the paperless system has only recently been introduced in Nebraska, one of the last states to receive it. It has not yet reached our Hearing Office (ODAR). The learning curve for the Administration and the practitioners, hopefully, will not be long. The current delays which I am sure will be longer due to technology, hopefully, will be short-lived.

So, add DSI on top of paperless, and we may be experiencing delays like never before. Will DSI cripple the system, or save it? More to the point, will the NEXT Commissioner support it or trash it?

Time holds the answer.