I've lived in Maryland since 1967 and for my money, Martin O'Malley was the best governor Maryland ever had. It was really sad when he term-limited out but I am glad he's running the SSA now.
Very few people who depend on Social Security to make ends meet would be able to cut a check to SSA for any considerable overpayment. Except in extreme circumstances, the policy should be to forgive the recipient for Feds errors. If the error is due to the actions of the recipient, maybe then.
In lighter news, former president Brainworms had the SS shortfall all worked out, for a few days: “there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements. There’s tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things you can do.” Tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things, both. Tremendous entitlements, plus the entitlements and cuts are tremendous, in terms of tremendous cutting of entitlements. A few days later, after panicking 60% of the country, former TV host ClownFarts clarified that cuts would never ever happen, ever. What he meant was that Joe Biden would make tremendous cuts to entitlements, and it’s a disaster and it’s a shame and Republicans like Trump are passionate about robust retirement benefits for all Americans supported by taxes, you betcha.
Politicians are nauseating enough without being a brainless sociopath whose only purpose in running is to escape his many legal problems and half a billion in judgments. This era in American politics can’t end soon enough.
I got a small amoung of money from Social Security when I was a struggling welfarian. They've been trying to claw back about $2000 ever since I started working four and a half years ago. I'll pay them when I'm able.
I'd hate to dramatize myself in any way, of course, but I fell for Martin O'Malley when I saw him sitting right beside that Virginia GOP governor (nicknamed "Gov. Vaginal Probe") (McCormick?) who was removed eventually (I think because he and his awful children stole so much soap from the Governor's Mansion.) Is that possible? Anyway-- during a campaign to unseat him, Martin O'Malley sat beside him-- they seemed to be sitting on a pair of side by side kitchen chairs-- and O'Malley turned and tapped Gov. Vaginal Probe on the thigh and explained to him and the audience exactly what he'd done that was so awful about him. Just casually to his face. I've never seen anything like it in my life, and in the midst of so much Democratic passivity, I bonded to him- IN MY SOUL! Then he was elected governor of Maryland. He is great and this article proves it.
Did you mean you'd like to see the scene I described? Sorry, I can't see what led up to what you said. If you mean that scene-- I can't find it anywhere now! I can't figure what it was-- since they weren't running against each other-- being from different states. Maybe if I wrote to his office I'd find out. I'll try it. And while he talked, McConnell looked straight ahead of him with a very uncomfortable face. He didn't even try to joke or anything. Such a jerk-- he's famous for having written his thesis on abortion from a position of demented religious hatred, and getting into electoral law trouble for borrowing a donor's red corvette. I'm serious!
"The overpayment notices went to more than two million people a year" .... I don't understand numbers any more. It says here ~70 million people receive social security money and so 3% of them are getting dunned? If I were the kind of person who says "just wow", that is what I would say.
SSA is an easy target when the MAGApublicans start ranting about privatizing. I would guess that everyone who ever dealt or deals with SSA has a benefits payment horror story. We are now a year into Missus Joe's eligibility and they still can't tell us what her benefit should be. We've had one claw back demand and a supplemental payment as they try to work this out.
I have been receiving SS payments since I was 62, about fifteen years ago. They are just retirement benefits, not SSI. My payments are direct-deposited on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and they have never been late or misdirected.
My only complaint with "entitlements" is when some right-wing douchebag sneeringly talks about them as though we recipients are getting a hand-out. They don't seem to understand that an "entitlement" is something we're "entitled" to by virtue of having paid into the program during our working years.
This literally just happened to my husband. After 30 years on disability, they suddenly cut him off, not depositing his monthly benefits out of the blue. Apparently we did not receive some paperwork and they determined he was no longer disabled. It has been a year and we are still trying to straighten things out. There is no communication between departments at SsA and you are left to jump through the hoops without assistance. If we had not notified them immediately every step of the way we would be in the same condition as the poor woman in the article. God forbid, if we were uneducated or spoke a different language. It would be impossible. It felt like I was reading my own life story for the past year! Thanks for the great news, Dok, hope no one goes through this.
I think you should be careful what you wish for there.
There's an awful lot of well-to-do people who would absolutely love to have home care or nursing homes paid for by the taxpayers who can afford to transfer a bunch of assets out of their names to qualify for Medicaid. As an elderlaw attorney, I get calls every week from well-off people wanting to do what they call "Medicaid planning" for themselves or, more ghoulishly, for their parents. These are people with plenty of money and they come to see me and are adamant about hating taxes -- while they want the taxpayers to pay for their nursing home care. They want me to tell them how to transfer assets to others so that they can qualify for Medicaid while still really not being poor.
So instead of getting rid of estate recovery, we should simply give everyone what the IRS gives everyone when they sell their primary residence -- a credit against the first $250,000 of capital gains on the sale ($500,000 for marrieds).
That way, ordinary people with ordinary homes still have every reason to do upkeep and maintenance on their homes (right now estate recovery helps further blight poor neighborhoods that were once redlined because anyone on Medicaid is already terribly cash poor, but the family members have no incentive to put any money into keeping up their house because they know the state will just grab it).
I don't have any problem with estate recovery that leaves the heirs up to $250,000 and takes everything above that (I'd even eliminate the credit for estates where the heirs would still be left with $250,000 or more after repaying Medicaid). Heck, I think we should do with Medicaid what many states do with property tax deferrals -- charge interest on the sums, coupled with a generous progressive tax credit on it so that the poorz don't pay it but the people who hit the real estate bonanza help replenish the fund.
It's not as good as a robust estate tax but it's a start.
Cherish a large, framed photo of late Mom, once a pregnant teen tossed out of high school who got her GED at 26, eventually left a hand-to-mouth existence in retail and began her gummint career in her late-30s as a ‘jr. federal assistant’ or GS-4. She retired as a Congressional Liaison. Photo was taken when she was bussed from SSA HQ in Woodlawn to DC to receive an award from then HHS Secretary Bowen. It was bestowed In recognition of the efforts she employed to obtain overdue payments for a destitute widow who was unaware that she qualified for late ex-husband’s benefits, having been married over 20 years. Only our Dok would follow and celebrate the unheralded good works of Martin O’Malley, quite obviously the right man for the job. TY, Dok-you’ve made my day🫡
Anyone who lived through the past 40 years knows the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: We should run the government like a business
But try to get Social Security to pay you money they owe you. I am currently working on the estate of a woman who died in 2022. The executor of her estate has been notified that Social Security actually UNDERPAID the deceased woman. The estate can't be completed until that money is received so that is available to be distributed to the beneficiaries. It is the only thing holding up the finalizing of the estate. Sure, they could distribute the money and just divide up the Social Security payment when it comes in, but they'd have to keep the estate bank account open, plus if I remember correctly there are 6 or 7 beneficiaries and while I don't know off hand how much the Social Security payment will be, divided 6 or 7 ways will mean that each person would probably get like $3.27 or something ridiculous like that.
Now, if they'd just do something about their stupid rule that you have to be alive for the entire month to qualify for that month's payment. My mother died at approximately 6:00 p.m. on February 28, 2020. Because 2020 was a leap year, Social Security clawed back the payment that was automatically deposited to her bank account on March 3rd. For one lousy day, they couldn't have let us have the stupidly small payment? If I'd have realized that was what they would do, I would have left her on the ventilator for one more day. Of course, I knew she didn't want that and had made me promise I would keep her alive on machines if there was no hope of recovery.
Makes me wonder if they would come for my mother who had her $$ stolen and then they replaced that theft. I mean "technically" they overpaid her but not really. These poor people.
I've lived in Maryland since 1967 and for my money, Martin O'Malley was the best governor Maryland ever had. It was really sad when he term-limited out but I am glad he's running the SSA now.
Very few people who depend on Social Security to make ends meet would be able to cut a check to SSA for any considerable overpayment. Except in extreme circumstances, the policy should be to forgive the recipient for Feds errors. If the error is due to the actions of the recipient, maybe then.
In lighter news, former president Brainworms had the SS shortfall all worked out, for a few days: “there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements. There’s tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things you can do.” Tremendous amounts of things and numbers of things, both. Tremendous entitlements, plus the entitlements and cuts are tremendous, in terms of tremendous cutting of entitlements. A few days later, after panicking 60% of the country, former TV host ClownFarts clarified that cuts would never ever happen, ever. What he meant was that Joe Biden would make tremendous cuts to entitlements, and it’s a disaster and it’s a shame and Republicans like Trump are passionate about robust retirement benefits for all Americans supported by taxes, you betcha.
Politicians are nauseating enough without being a brainless sociopath whose only purpose in running is to escape his many legal problems and half a billion in judgments. This era in American politics can’t end soon enough.
I got a small amoung of money from Social Security when I was a struggling welfarian. They've been trying to claw back about $2000 ever since I started working four and a half years ago. I'll pay them when I'm able.
I'd hate to dramatize myself in any way, of course, but I fell for Martin O'Malley when I saw him sitting right beside that Virginia GOP governor (nicknamed "Gov. Vaginal Probe") (McCormick?) who was removed eventually (I think because he and his awful children stole so much soap from the Governor's Mansion.) Is that possible? Anyway-- during a campaign to unseat him, Martin O'Malley sat beside him-- they seemed to be sitting on a pair of side by side kitchen chairs-- and O'Malley turned and tapped Gov. Vaginal Probe on the thigh and explained to him and the audience exactly what he'd done that was so awful about him. Just casually to his face. I've never seen anything like it in my life, and in the midst of so much Democratic passivity, I bonded to him- IN MY SOUL! Then he was elected governor of Maryland. He is great and this article proves it.
I would love to see that.
Did you mean you'd like to see the scene I described? Sorry, I can't see what led up to what you said. If you mean that scene-- I can't find it anywhere now! I can't figure what it was-- since they weren't running against each other-- being from different states. Maybe if I wrote to his office I'd find out. I'll try it. And while he talked, McConnell looked straight ahead of him with a very uncomfortable face. He didn't even try to joke or anything. Such a jerk-- he's famous for having written his thesis on abortion from a position of demented religious hatred, and getting into electoral law trouble for borrowing a donor's red corvette. I'm serious!
His name is Bob McDonnell, not McConnell! And I've learned that the two of them debate -- it's called Separated by Washington. Maybe we can find it.
It sounds awesome.
"The overpayment notices went to more than two million people a year" .... I don't understand numbers any more. It says here ~70 million people receive social security money and so 3% of them are getting dunned? If I were the kind of person who says "just wow", that is what I would say.
SSA is an easy target when the MAGApublicans start ranting about privatizing. I would guess that everyone who ever dealt or deals with SSA has a benefits payment horror story. We are now a year into Missus Joe's eligibility and they still can't tell us what her benefit should be. We've had one claw back demand and a supplemental payment as they try to work this out.
I have been receiving SS payments since I was 62, about fifteen years ago. They are just retirement benefits, not SSI. My payments are direct-deposited on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and they have never been late or misdirected.
My only complaint with "entitlements" is when some right-wing douchebag sneeringly talks about them as though we recipients are getting a hand-out. They don't seem to understand that an "entitlement" is something we're "entitled" to by virtue of having paid into the program during our working years.
Think of it ... all that SS money could be going to Wall Street.
W tried it.
Da Fuck?! 23 Billion? this has to be more of Republicans underfunding so they can say, Gov't Broken, yo'!"
This literally just happened to my husband. After 30 years on disability, they suddenly cut him off, not depositing his monthly benefits out of the blue. Apparently we did not receive some paperwork and they determined he was no longer disabled. It has been a year and we are still trying to straighten things out. There is no communication between departments at SsA and you are left to jump through the hoops without assistance. If we had not notified them immediately every step of the way we would be in the same condition as the poor woman in the article. God forbid, if we were uneducated or spoke a different language. It would be impossible. It felt like I was reading my own life story for the past year! Thanks for the great news, Dok, hope no one goes through this.
Another thing that needs to change is Medicaid trying to recover money from deceased Medicaid recipients' estates.
I think you should be careful what you wish for there.
There's an awful lot of well-to-do people who would absolutely love to have home care or nursing homes paid for by the taxpayers who can afford to transfer a bunch of assets out of their names to qualify for Medicaid. As an elderlaw attorney, I get calls every week from well-off people wanting to do what they call "Medicaid planning" for themselves or, more ghoulishly, for their parents. These are people with plenty of money and they come to see me and are adamant about hating taxes -- while they want the taxpayers to pay for their nursing home care. They want me to tell them how to transfer assets to others so that they can qualify for Medicaid while still really not being poor.
So instead of getting rid of estate recovery, we should simply give everyone what the IRS gives everyone when they sell their primary residence -- a credit against the first $250,000 of capital gains on the sale ($500,000 for marrieds).
That way, ordinary people with ordinary homes still have every reason to do upkeep and maintenance on their homes (right now estate recovery helps further blight poor neighborhoods that were once redlined because anyone on Medicaid is already terribly cash poor, but the family members have no incentive to put any money into keeping up their house because they know the state will just grab it).
I don't have any problem with estate recovery that leaves the heirs up to $250,000 and takes everything above that (I'd even eliminate the credit for estates where the heirs would still be left with $250,000 or more after repaying Medicaid). Heck, I think we should do with Medicaid what many states do with property tax deferrals -- charge interest on the sums, coupled with a generous progressive tax credit on it so that the poorz don't pay it but the people who hit the real estate bonanza help replenish the fund.
It's not as good as a robust estate tax but it's a start.
Cherish a large, framed photo of late Mom, once a pregnant teen tossed out of high school who got her GED at 26, eventually left a hand-to-mouth existence in retail and began her gummint career in her late-30s as a ‘jr. federal assistant’ or GS-4. She retired as a Congressional Liaison. Photo was taken when she was bussed from SSA HQ in Woodlawn to DC to receive an award from then HHS Secretary Bowen. It was bestowed In recognition of the efforts she employed to obtain overdue payments for a destitute widow who was unaware that she qualified for late ex-husband’s benefits, having been married over 20 years. Only our Dok would follow and celebrate the unheralded good works of Martin O’Malley, quite obviously the right man for the job. TY, Dok-you’ve made my day🫡
A fantastic mother.
Anyone who lived through the past 40 years knows the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: We should run the government like a business
Amen
And let the business dunce who bankrupted three casinos run the whole thing.
That’s eight words, but you’re right - they’re even scarier than Raygun’s snarky trope!
Also SHARK
But try to get Social Security to pay you money they owe you. I am currently working on the estate of a woman who died in 2022. The executor of her estate has been notified that Social Security actually UNDERPAID the deceased woman. The estate can't be completed until that money is received so that is available to be distributed to the beneficiaries. It is the only thing holding up the finalizing of the estate. Sure, they could distribute the money and just divide up the Social Security payment when it comes in, but they'd have to keep the estate bank account open, plus if I remember correctly there are 6 or 7 beneficiaries and while I don't know off hand how much the Social Security payment will be, divided 6 or 7 ways will mean that each person would probably get like $3.27 or something ridiculous like that.
Now, if they'd just do something about their stupid rule that you have to be alive for the entire month to qualify for that month's payment. My mother died at approximately 6:00 p.m. on February 28, 2020. Because 2020 was a leap year, Social Security clawed back the payment that was automatically deposited to her bank account on March 3rd. For one lousy day, they couldn't have let us have the stupidly small payment? If I'd have realized that was what they would do, I would have left her on the ventilator for one more day. Of course, I knew she didn't want that and had made me promise I would keep her alive on machines if there was no hope of recovery.
I hope there is a way to get people supported again so they are not put out on the street.
Exhibit 950 for why it matters who is in office.
Makes me wonder if they would come for my mother who had her $$ stolen and then they replaced that theft. I mean "technically" they overpaid her but not really. These poor people.
Thanks for delivering this wonderful news so brilliantly. As usual.
"...just write the overpayments off and cover it by eliminating oil subsidies."
What do oil subsidies have to do with Social Security overpayments? Sure, we shouldn't have to pay oil subsidies, but this is really a non sequitur.
He knows. And btw, it both is and is NOT a non sequitur: it's a rhetorical conceit, one that works well in this context.
[Dok, whose PhD is in rhetoric, weeps silent tears of joy; feels seen]