Social Security Table » Employment http://social-security-table.com Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:53:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Social Security Number: a Key to Identity Fraud http://social-security-table.com/social-security-number-a-key-to-identity-fraud/ http://social-security-table.com/social-security-number-a-key-to-identity-fraud/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:34:16 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/social-security-number-a-key-to-identity-fraud/
Mary Jean Kuda asked:


Social Security has been one of the country’s most successful programs. It aids people from financial uncertainty especially in their trying times.

The program provides several protections such as:

•    progressive benefit formula

•    comprehensive insurance benefits that include disability

•    survivors and retirement benefits

•    spouses’ benefits

•    a cost of living adjustment

•    coverage until death

These protections will be placed at risk if fraud related claims continue to spoil Social Security.

Identity theft using the Social Security numbers (SSNs) is one of the common Social Security frauds that have been weakening the program.

History on the Use of Social Security Numbers

SSNs were first issued in 1936. The federal government assured the public that the use of the numbers would be restricted to Social Security programs such as calculating retirement benefits.

Today, however, SSN has become the de facto general identifier.

Government agencies and private businesses use SSNs even for a wide range of non-Social Security purposes. These purposes include:

•    employee files

•    medical records

•    health insurance accounts

•    credit and banking accounts,

•    university ID cards

•    utility accounts

The use of SSNs as both an identifier and an authenticator makes these numbers highly desirable to fraudulent acts, such as identity theft.

Social Security Fraud by Using SSN

Identity fraud is not all about money. The persistent use of SSNs as an identification mechanism gives the thieves many options.

Identity thieves seek SSNs so they can use these numbers to assume the identity of another person and commit fraud.

A thief can fraudulently use your SSN to assume your identity and gain access not only to your Social Security information but also to your bank accounts, credit accounts, utilities records, and other sources of personal information.

They can also establish new credit and bank accounts in your name, use your SSN for employment purposes or obtain medical care.

How to Prevent Identity Theft

Official efforts are under way to restrict use of SSNs. For instance, the Social Security Administration shortens SSNs on the benefit statements it mails each year.

While essential information can be acquired in credit card, bank accounts and other documents, SSNs are the most common way of getting personal information.

In California, for instance, a birth certificate (or many other types of documents) and a valid SSN are required to get driver’s license or identification card.

The following steps are essential in reducing identity theft using SSNs:

•    Protect your SSN. Provide it only when necessary such as in tax forms, employment records, most banking, stock and property transactions. The SSN is the key to your credit and banking accounts and is the prime target of thieves.

•    If business or establishment requests your SSN, ask if you can use another number instead.

•    Do not have your SSN printed on your checks. Do not let merchants write the SSN onto your checks because of the risk of fraud.

•    Do not utter your SSN aloud when you are in a public place. Speak softly or write it down on a piece of paper instead. Be sure to retrieve and shred that paper after use.

•    Check your Social Security Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement each year to check for fraud.

•    Do not carry your SSN card in your wallet except for emergencies.

•    Do not carry wallet cards that display the SSN such as insurance cards, except when needed to receive healthcare services.

Theft identity entails a lot of damage. If you are a victim of it, consult a Social Security fraud attorney to help you in your tedious legal battle ahead.



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]]> http://social-security-table.com/social-security-number-a-key-to-identity-fraud/feed/ 0 A Simple Way for Claiming Social Security Insurance Benefits http://social-security-table.com/a-simple-way-for-claiming-social-security-insurance-benefits/ http://social-security-table.com/a-simple-way-for-claiming-social-security-insurance-benefits/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:46:50 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/a-simple-way-for-claiming-social-security-insurance-benefits/
FDP Inc. asked:


Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Social Security Income (SSI) is part of the Federal Social Security program that provides monthly disability payments to those who are younger than full retirement age, unable to engage in substantial employment activities. If one is applying for Social Security Disability benefits, having a lawyer, that has a good knowledge of how the Social Security Disability claims process works is critical and can improve the chances of getting the case approved in the application stage or at the hearing level.

To find the suitable lawyer http://www.social-security-lawyers.net – National Directory of Social Security Lawyers, launched by FDP Inc. is an ideal website to start with. A qualified and experienced social security lawyer can guide through all the process of claiming the Income and also answer the queries of Social Security. The website has a large directory of social security lawyers from all over the country, just entering the zip code, a lawyer can be easily found from a nearby area. It is a complete user friendly website, truly worth it! If one is applying for Social Security Disability benefits, having a lawyer, that has a good knowledge of how the Social Security Disability claims process works is critical and can improve the chances of getting the case approved in the application stage or at the hearing level.

Experienced and Qualified Social Security Lawyers are also invited to register at http://www.social-security-lawyers.net/Register.aspx , the growing network of Nationwide Social Security Lawyers. The client list of the lawyers can be improved as the site directs captured search requests from the web to the registered members. The help of a lawyer is precious as there are many search requests from all over the country through the web.



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]]> http://social-security-table.com/a-simple-way-for-claiming-social-security-insurance-benefits/feed/ 0 Ways to Retrieve Confirmation of a Social Security Number on the Internet http://social-security-table.com/ways-to-retrieve-confirmation-of-a-social-security-number-on-the-internet/ http://social-security-table.com/ways-to-retrieve-confirmation-of-a-social-security-number-on-the-internet/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:34:59 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/ways-to-retrieve-confirmation-of-a-social-security-number-on-the-internet/
Trevor Price asked:


The Social Security Number Verification System is a free online tool that allows employers to easily obtain a free Social Security verification for their new employees. Directly from their website, a registered employer can check a potential employee or new hire’s identity and Social Security number.

To learn more about the SSA’s free Social Security verification system, read on.

The Enumeration Verification System Basics for Employers

Employers can register for the Enumeration Verification System by visiting the SSA’s website at ssa.gov/bso/bsowelcome.htm. From this page, the employer must first register for a username and password. Once registered, they can obtain instant results by searching for employee Social Security numbers.

Using E-Verify for All Hiring

E-Verify is the free online tool provided by the Social Security Administration. It allows you, the employer, to conduct a free check of a new employee’s status and Social Security number with both the SSA and the DHS.

Essentially, once a job applicant presents their documents showing both their identity and employment eligibility, an employer has 3 days from the official hiring date to perform an E-Verify check. By using the E-Verify tool, an employer is granted civil and criminal immunity for all the employees it runs through the system in good faith. The legal benefits are massive and it’s a free service.

E-Verify is a fantastic way to establish your company as a responsible employer and one that ensures they are in compliance with all immigration and hiring laws. Remember though, an employer can’t just sit back, relax and assume that simply because a new employee or applicant is cleared on E-Verify, that they’re free from future responsibility. A truly diligent employer should take aggressive steps to insure their workplace is free of Social Security fraud.

Using the Enumeration Verification System if You’re a Lender

Loan companies are also often prey to instances of Social Security number fraud. This system allows lenders to input a loan applicant’s Social Security number and name. After processing the request, they will receive a “no match” or “match” which will show if the Social Security number is correct.

This verification service is run through third-party vendors and is not free. However, it’s a critical tool for verifying identity and preventing fraud.

If you’re searching for free Social Security verification tools, your only option is with the Social Security Administration or through a lender’s vendor. To conduct Social Security number checks, you must be registered with the SSA as an employer and have the proper signed documentation from your new hires.

This can be invaluable information to a hiring organization in validating an employment candidate before bringing him or her on board. And since there is no charge for tapping into the data, it only makes sense to do so, helping to ensure there are no substantial problems with the individual. In fact, the SSA website contains a lot of employer-friendly insights that make it worth perusing through anyway.



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]]> http://social-security-table.com/ways-to-retrieve-confirmation-of-a-social-security-number-on-the-internet/feed/ 0 Social Security, Employment And Identity Theft http://social-security-table.com/social-security-employment-and-identity-theft/ http://social-security-table.com/social-security-employment-and-identity-theft/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:30:43 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/social-security-employment-and-identity-theft/ Lisa Carey asked: id_theft_-_dl_animation

Identity thieves steal your personal information for many reasons. Among those are to obtain credit (money) using your credit information, but also medical benefits, Veteran’s benefits and employment.

Why would anyone steal your identity just to get a job? For many reasons, for example some people are in the United States illegally and do not have a social security number. Some people can not pass background checks, or have a criminal background that would keep them from getting jobs. Whatever the reason, Social Security Numbers are hot merchandise, if yours can be gotten, it can be sold.

“Misuse of another individual’s SSN is a violation of federal law and may lead to fines and/or imprisonment and disregarding the work authorization provisions printed on your Social Security card may be a violation of federal immigration law. Violations of applicable law regarding Social Security number fraud and misuse are serious crimes and will be prosecuted.” According to the Social Security Administration, The crime is considered a felony under federal and state laws and may result in fines and imprisonment.

In order to determine if there has been any use of your SSN to obtain employment, it is important to review your W-2 each year to determine that your social security benefits are being accurately reported and that the correct SSN is being used. Next, review your Social Security Statement issued to you each year. Check your statement against your W-2 to determine if there are any discrepancies. One way of determining if your SSN has been used illegally will be by monitoring the information on you benefits statement; which may state that benefits have been accessed or that the amount paid in maybe greater than the number reported on your W-2. To obtain a copy of your Statement of Benefits you may call the SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.

Are you responsible for the taxes on the wages resulting from someone being illegally employed? Probably not, and the taxes are paid directly through the employer. As a result that money is just sitting in an account held by the federal government.

What about Social Security Benefits? What happens to the money paid in through two people employed and using the same social security number? It is estimated that approximately 420 billion dollars in federal funds are sitting in “limbo.” The government calls this the Earnings Suspense Fund. The money has been paid in, but there is no one to credit the funds or benefits to. This is because in many cases the user of your social security number is also using either their own name, or a fake name. The only people that benefit from this extra payment are the federal government as well as the imposter who is able to be employed. Each government agency (IRS and SSA) have a list of mis-matched numbers, that don’t belong to the names that are using them, so what are they doing about it?

Illegal use of your SSN is very difficult to find out about, unless you happen to apply for a job at the same place, or if they are also using it for theft of your credit information.

If after reviewing your benefits and wages information you are suspicious, take the next steps. Request a credit report to see if credit has also been obtained using your identity. If so, it is time to move quickly in order to rectify the errors in your employment, social security and credit history.

If you determine that your social security number has been compromised, you must contact the Social Security Administration and report it. Reports are made to the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General. You may file a complaint online at www.socialsecurity.gov/oig, call toll-free: 1-800-269-0271, fax: 410-597-0118, or write: SSA Fraud Hotline, P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235.

Can you get a new social security number if you suspect that your number has been used? Maybe, but not always. The SSA will not issue a new number in the following circumstances: it was lost or stolen and no proof of damage has occurred, you are trying to avoid detection of poor credit or a criminal record, or you are trying to avoid some form of legal responsibility. However it is up to you to prove to them that your number is being used illegally, that you are not attempting to avoid credit collection or any other actions possibly pending against you.

Be proactive and try to protect and repair the damage yourself. File a report with the Social Security Administration, Federal Trade Commission and the three major credit agencies. However, without the issuance of a new Social Security Number, you are still at risk so you may want to consider using all the credit protection available to you such as placing fraud alerts on your credit report, credit freezes and consistent monitoring of your credit report. To report Identity Theft you may contact the Federal Trade Commission via telephone 1-877-438-4338.

You may find it necessary to consult with an attorney to protect your current and future benefit rights. Know your rights and stand up for them. Credit lenders or collection agents may attempt to threaten you or force you to pay for outstand debts incurred by use of your information. Consult with law enforcement officials, an attorney, the State’s Attorney General and consumer credit counseling organizations to determine what your rights and responsibilities are and you can assert them.

Caffeinated Content for WordPress ]]> http://social-security-table.com/social-security-employment-and-identity-theft/feed/ 0 What Might Obama do to Social Security Disability? http://social-security-table.com/what-might-obama-do-to-social-security-disability/ http://social-security-table.com/what-might-obama-do-to-social-security-disability/#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:21:54 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/what-might-obama-do-to-social-security-disability/ Matt Berry asked:obama

Barack Obama addressed close to 250,000 Americans at Grant Park on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 to give his acceptance speech. As a result of winning 364 electoral votes (94 more than the 270 required to win), Obama is the newly-elected president of the United States.

Over the next few months, Obama will tackle the issues he discussed during the heated presidential debates, ranging from the American economy to tax benefits to the war in Iraq. It can be speculated that Senator Obama’s success or failure in reforming America’s Social Security will be one of his most challenging issues as president of the United States in 2008.

At James Madison University on Tuesday, October 28, Obama said, “It won’t be easy… it won’t be quick, but you and I know that it is time to come together and change this country.”

1. Provide Americans with disabilities the educational opportunities they need to succeed:

- Barack Obama supports the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which would help school districts cover the excess costs of educating children with disabilities. IDEA proposes increasing the current funding by 23%.

2. End discrimination and promote equal opportunity:

- Barack Obama supports Senator Tom Harkin’s ADA Restoration Act, which would redefine the definition of a “disability” in the application of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Obama plans to sign this act into law, which would prevent people with epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer from being fired from their jobs ‘because they have those conditions.’

- Barack Obama supports universal health care legislation. Under the Obama-Biden plan, people with disabilities who take a job will either continue to receive their current health care or they will be provided a subsidy to purchase health care.

3. Increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities:

-Barack Obama supports the reinstitution of Executive Order No. 13173, which would hire an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years. The federal government is the United States’ largest employer, and Barack Obama and Joe Biden support the hiring of employees with disabilities.

- Barack supports the establishment of a National Commission on People with Disabilities, Employment, and Social Security, which would examine the current SSDI, SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid programs in the United States to solve existing problems.

4. Support the independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities:

- Barack Obama supports Senator Tom Harkin’s Community Choice Act of 2007, which would allow Americans with disabilities the choice of living in communities instead of nursing homes or institutions.

- Obama supports the Fair Home Health Care Act to combat the shortage of community direct care attendants. The Fair Home Health Care Act would increase the wage of health care attendants.

Obama supports a $150 million increase in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) budget, which he believes has been underfunded. Obama is also committed to improving the application and appeals process for individuals with disabilities to fix the inefficiencies in the current system. Such as:

- Pending hearings have doubled since 2001

- The average weight time for a hearing decision is 505 days, the highest ever in agency history

- The processing times at the hearing level range from 276 days in Charleston to 973 days in Atlanta

- A reconsideration decision can take up to 8 months

What will be the result of an Obama presidency onto Social Security Disability? The question has many Social Security lawyers and Social Security attorneys pondering the issue. With an aging baby boomer generation and a concern that average wait times to receive Social Security Disability benefits are already over two years, most experts will agree that something needs to be done by the next President (Obama) to address the speed at which disability cases are handled.

If you or a family member has been denied disability benefits at the application level, it is advised that you contact a Social Security Disability lawyer. With current wait times of over two years, it is important to remember the sooner you involve a lawyer in the process, the sooner the process can be affected.

Caffeinated Content for WordPress ]]> http://social-security-table.com/what-might-obama-do-to-social-security-disability/feed/ 0 Applying for Social Security Disability: Before, During, and After http://social-security-table.com/applying-for-social-security-disability-before-during-and-after/ http://social-security-table.com/applying-for-social-security-disability-before-during-and-after/#comments Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:24:39 +0000 admin http://social-security-table.com/applying-for-social-security-disability-before-during-and-after/

Becca asked:


The process of applying for Social Security Disability or SSI can be a complicated one. Someone applying for disability may wonder what they need to focus on while completing their application, while waiting for a decision, or even what to do after they have been approved. Here are some tips for a disability or SSI applicant that may help the process go a bit more smoothly.

1) BEFORE

While you are preparing to submit an application, there are three important factors to consider. First, focus on building a strong medical history. Social Security relies heavily on medical records and related documentation. It is important to have seen a supportive doctor for a long period of time. More than one doctor can be helpful too, especially if the other physicians are specialists. Make sure you have documentation to show a steady history of your disability from the date you believe your disability began. If you have not been seeing a doctor, start now. Do not wait for Social Security to set up a “consultative exam” with one of their doctors, as that situation is usually not very helpful to your claim. So tip #1: build a strong medical history.

The second recommendation is to keep a record of your work history. Keep a log of your employer’s name, phone number, address, the dates you worked, your duties, any difficulties you had in fulfilling those duties, and why your employment was terminated. This information will be helpful later on.

Third, prepare for a long process. Your financial situation will likely become strained before you are finally approved for disability, and you may need help from friends or family. If you have no medical insurance, you may have to ask for assistance in affording medications and doctor visits. If you are approved for disability or SSI quickly, wonderful! If you are like most disability applicants, however, you may wait years to see your disability check. Just prepare yourself in whatever way you can.

2) DURING

Once you have submitted your application, continue to see your doctor(s) and gather your medical records and other evidence for Social Security. Make copies of everything, and include as much detailed information as possible. Report changes in medications, and continue to submit evidence as it comes. Notify Social Security if your situation becomes life-threating or extremely dire, as your claim may be expedited. Make copies of eviction notices and other such urgent matters and send them to Social Security. Keep documentation of conversations with Social Security workers and file away all paperwork you receive. Remember, with thousands of other applicants going through the process with you, you may have to be assertive to make sure your disability claim is considered properly.

If you decide to hire a disability lawyer, ask around and do your research. Disability lawyers basically charge the same fees, but the service can vary considerably. The most important point in the process is the hearing level, at which point many applicants decide to hire representation. If you decide to represent yourself, be familiar with your medical records and daily activities. At the hearing, be cautious but honest in your answers.

3) AFTER

If you are denied, appeal, appeal, appeal. That is all you can do, and it is very common.

If you are approved, however, there will probably be a wait before you start to receive your disability checks. Your Medicaid benefits will also come later. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about this wait. But once you do receive your disability or SSI benefits, be careful about working too many hours. If you work, you may not earn over Social Security’s SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity) limits. If you do earn over the limits, Social Security may terminate your disability benefits and make you pay back the benefits you did receive (during the months you exceeded SGA). At that point, it will be very hard to be approved for disability again.

Wherever you are in the disability process, best of luck.



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