SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

There are alot of full time Government employees getting VA disability checks. if they have the ability to get out of bed, come to work for a full 8 hour day without accomodation then they are not disabled and should not be receiving a government / Tax payer subsidized check.

There is too much fraud related to getting social security and disability benefits. For someone to receive any one of these benefits, the paperwork should be notarized and submitted with a fraud disclaimer indicating that if the information is falsified, criminal punishment will occur. This should also be signed by any doctor or educator that indicates that a person cannot work or learn due to a disability. If the... more »

One of the largest waste of money in SSA is the SSI program. This program only encourages the majority of people to be dishonest and work under the table. We could save 100's of millions of dollars each and every year if we eliminate this program. Especially for children. The only type of SSI should be for aged individuals who were not insured enough to meet the basic cost of living.

Both SSI and Social Security disability work incentives are confusing and overly complicated. It is a frequent source of overpayment in both programs.

We currently have an interface with IRS that reports quarterly wages. We should automatically use connect this information to disability recipients. If someone has 3 quarters of SGA level work, suspend their payments and send them a notice that they need to begin reporting... more »

Currently a Social Security disability beneficiary will have their benefits suspended after engaging in substantial gainful activity for a specified period. Supplemental Security Income recipients can continue enagaing in SGA and never have their disability ceased. In fact, beneficiaries who receive both programs can have their SS disability ceased and their SSI increased rather than also being terminated. SSI rules... more »

SS disabilty is being collected by new immigrants effective the day they arrive in the USA. Disability benifits should be restricted to Citizens and Permenant Residents who have worked and payed ito the SS system. Paying arriving immigrants (usually DV1 immigrants) disability without ever having worked in the USA is only draining the available pool of money that should go to people who have worked and paid into the... more »

Can we have designated temperature zones at work places: These are real distractors at work. Ever noticed the space heaters at office.. and resulting double drain on power -one to run the AC and the other to keep the personal heater running.

With the cold air from the air conditioning running full blast, comes the misery for a few with genuine body temperature regulation issues. Some may have hypothyroidism. They usually... more »

Make the VA more efficient. Have the VA use military health records instead of calling veterans in numerous times to take the same test over & over! The process to get disability benefits is horrendously long and exhausting. The system for data entry of service related health records is also horrendous. It is not user friendly or intuitive & if you are lucky enough to enter your "x" yrs of service data, you then have... more »

There are over 8 million persons receiving SSI with over $4.3 billion spent in just the month of June 2011. This seems excessive. I don't mind helping support someone that is doing their upmost to help themselves. It seems perhaps too many people qualify to receive SSI benefits. I suggest relooking at the qualifications including limiting disabilities to a smaller number of situations (perhaps not including self perpetuated... more »

On the SSA Web Site, it states that it takes between 3 to 5 months to receive an initial SSA disability decision. On the VA Web Site, it states that it takes up to 6 months to receive an initial VA disability decision. SSA Appeals take 2 or more years at OHA. VA Appeals take 3 or more years at the BVA.

Although initial disability processing times have improved over recent years due to Automation including Electronic... more »

When I began working for VA over 20 yrs ago we operated out of computer system under the (BDN) Benefits Delivery Network. This system was tied into all parts of VA. The main part we used was to pay deserving veterans benefits for their lost wages due to a slightly to completely debilitating disability. This disability being due to their service for their country. This system was in the DOS format and slightly cumbersome... more »

AADEP (American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians) says disability is bad for the recipient, work is good for everyone. Work is particularly good for mental health patients since it gives them something to get up in the morning for, some reason to get dressed and leave the house, something to think about besides themselves. We are paying people to be sick and to keep getting sicker. Require at a minimum that... more »

Establish an independent panel to review all disability claims. Advertise hotline for fraud. Re-evaluate what constitutes justification. Many instances people on disability are off work riding ATV's, hunting, and playing sports with their kids while those of us who work physically cannot do what they get paid to do, stay home.

The VA has a Rating Schedule which is used on every VA Disability claim. On the Rating Schedule, some percentages for disabilities are set up for "mild" or "moderate" or "moderately severe", etc. One Rating Specialist can grant 10% whereas another can grant 20% or 30%. The Rating Schedule should be less subjective to allow for proper payments to be made to Veterans.

When Someone currently fills out the Disability Application online or the Disability Report, rarely do they file and submit the same day. If the website did not give them the option to do one or the other but made it into one application this would reduce phone calls, letters, along with wasted time and resources. Not only that many attorneys will only submit the Application and will mail or fax the Adult disabilty report... more »