SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

We currently at Social Security Administration 800# number send out form IRS w-4v (Request for change in voluntary tax witholding) to those who request witholding over the phone. When we recieve the form back at the 800# number, we input the witholding. It would save money, time, and postage if after we properly and securely identify callers like we already do each time we make a change in a Social Security record, that... more »

Ensure that Social Security benefits are automatically stopped at the time a Death Certificate is issued by automatically sending a copy of the Death Certificate to the Social Security Administration when the Death Certificate is issued. This would eliminate the lag time between the Date of Death and when the benefits are stopped by the Executor of the Will for the deceased. It would also eliminate unnecessary checking... more »

The administration is using the same model that was started in the 1930's. It was set up with payment centers in each region of the United States. This was done because everything was done on paper at the local field offices and mailed to regional locations to process into pay status or adjustments to the benefits.

The current situation is that local offices still have to send some inputs to these central locations.... more »

Provide some means for carrying IRS Income Tax Returns forward from one year to the next for people who are on Social Security and/or SSI. When a person’s address and source of income has not changed the government should be able to produce the Tax Return and let the individual verify the new amounts by simply signing the form.

Provide some means for carrying HUD Rental Assistance paperwork forward from one year to the next for people who are on Social Security and/or SSI. When a person’s address and source of income has not changed the government should be able to the Rental Assistance paperwork and let the individual verify the new amounts by simply signing the form.

Individuals receiving unemployment must certify weekly that they are ready, willing and able to work. This means they are able to work and therefore NOT disabled.

I propose a new Social Security tax structure to alleviate the burden on the lower and middle class population. Under the current Social Security tax system, individuals who earn over $106,800 per year are not taxed on the excess income. I suggest creating an additional tax bracket, starting at around $350,000, to help ease the financial burden on middle income families who are simply trying to make ends meet. My plan... 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 »

I know of many older individuals that collect social security, but don't really need the money and would actually opt out if givin the option. It's hard to say what the end result would be, but I can't see any harm in sending out an annaul letter allowing social security recipients to opt out if they choose to do so... Of course, care would need to be taken as not to sound demanding or demeaning and measures would be... 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 »

The $255 lump sum Social Security death benefit costs more to administer than the value of the benefit.

Revocation Standards for United States Drivers’ Licenses/ Identification Cards: Implementation of multi-agency (Department of Public Safety and CBP) standard procedures to mandate reporting of all US State-issued drivers’ licenses or identification cards encountered on deportable illegal aliens in the field during processing and removal from United States. Persons who are not 1) US Citizens 2) Lawfully Present in the... more »

The investment returns from equities would allow for the current level of benefits to be maintained without increasing the payroll tax.

First-time claim submissions to for Social Security benefits are always denied. It has become an expecation for claims to be denied on their first submission. The necessity to resubmit claims in order for them to be seriously considered is a waste in taxpayer and claimant funds. I propose a review of SS policies and practices to eliminate the practice of an "automatic denial"'on all first-time claims. Claims should... more »

The Benefit Authorizer (BA) is a data entry position that is left over from a by-gone era. The process goes like this: A Claims Authorizer (CA) develops and approves a benefit award then the BA enters it to the computer system. This explanation is over simplified but the point is there isn't anything a BA does that a CA couldn't do for themselves.
My proposal is to retrain a portion of BAs (say 50%) as CAs and make... more »