Social Security

Last updated: 7/01/2010

(from 2007 Legislative Agenda)

Social Security Links

CCD Comments on Social Security Administration Occupational Information System Recommendations (June 2010) CCD Comments on SSA's Proprosed Rule on Representation (November 2008) Social Security Advisory Group Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Request Letters (May 2008) CCD Testimony on Social Security Benefits for Economically Vulnerable Beneficiaries (1/08) CCD Comments on Social Security Proposed Changes to Appeals Process (12/07) Letter in Support of Increased Social Security Administrative Expense Funding (10/07) NDRN Comments on August 13, 2007 Proposed Ticket-to-Work Regulations (10/07) Social Security Reform (01/06) Testimony for Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel, 2001 CCD Fact sheets on Social Security

The First Session of the 110th Congress should:

• Reject any proposal to privatize or otherwise threaten Social Security trust fund invest-ments or the availability of benefits to individuals with disabilities.
  
• Reject any proposal that would inappropriate-ly limit the definition of disability and lead to the loss of critical supports and services for children and adults with disabilities.
  
• Protect and expand the effectiveness of income support programs and their related health coverage programs in the Social Security Act – including the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (Title II); Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI); Medicare (Title XVIII); and Medicaid (Title XIX) programs.
  
• Substantially increase the resource limit for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to the level it would have been if indexed for inflation since its inception, and annually index the SSI resource limit for inflation.
  
• Support improvements in the process for determining disability, and ensure the protection of claimants’ due process rights, including the right to a full and fair administrative hearing by an independent decision maker who provides impartial fact-finding and adjudication.
  
• Improve protections for beneficiaries whose benefits are paid to representative payees.
  
• Ensure that people who work in sheltered or other subsidized settings have FICA taxes paid on their behalf and receive appropriate work credits for Title II and Medicare eligibility.
  
• Enact laws to provide benefits and services to those individuals who inappropriately lost them when Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was enacted, particularly children affected by SSI eligibility changes.
  
• Eliminate any marriage penalties that exist in current Social Security disability policy.
  
• Enact an earnings offset work incentive for Title II beneficiaries that parallels work incentives for SSI.
  
• Enact a program allowing SSI beneficiaries to maintain resources dedicated for housing purposes.
  
• Ensure that SSI beneficiaries can participate in appropriate Individual Development Accounts without jeopardizing their eligibility for SSI.