SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

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.

It is sometimes necessary to examine whether longstanding practices continue to bring value to the American public. Issuing Social Security cards is likely such a process for SSA, with the agency replacing 10 million replacement cards annually. Eliminating or minimizing this workload would result in sizable direct cost savings, relieve SSA of a burdensome auxiliary mission, reduce instances where the public needs to visit... more »

I have been a Claims Representative for SSA for over 34 years. I have processed and adjudicated literally thousands of Disability claims, and been part of every computer enhancement and streamlining of the claims process during that period.

Unfortunately, any enhancements necessary for our agency to handle the impending avalanche of Disability and Retirement claims from "Baby Boomers," is compromised by our massively... more »

We currently pay SSI benefits to a parent of a disabled child. The maximum amount payable is $674.00 per month.

We pay this amount to a parent even if the parent is an illegal alien who does not have a social security number.

If this parent, who does not have a social security number, has several disabled children, SSI will pay up $674.00 per month per child. There is not a maximum amount payable per family.... more »

Currently, when someone receives Social Security Disability and goes back to work, they call to report it. We take basic information about the job and tell them to hang on to their paystubs until we request more detailed information. Because of the shortage of personnel, work reviews often do not happen for a couple of years. The person is overpaid large amounts of money. Often they are waived.

We should implement... more »

Administrative Law Judges (ALJ's) should be required to complete the same training to learn the rules of Social Security Disability & SSI as all the Social Security Disability Examiners. As an examiner who does Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR's) I continually see people receiving disability who do not meet the qualifications of the program. While judges should have more leeway than a regular examiner, they should... more »

I am a currently a 34 yr old Social Security Claims Representative. I have also been a Program Analyst at SSA headquarters in Baltimore for two years and have a background in policy. From my experiences on both the technical part of the job and the higher level, I think that if we revamp just one policy we could save millions.
Currently, for disability benefits, we pay up to one-year retroactive monthly benefits. Our... more »

currently VA disability recipients can get SS and possibly workman's comp as well. VA is very generous. There is no justification for double or triple disability ratings.