tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52122294033683233922024-02-08T07:01:06.153-05:00Attorney Joseph RattmanJoseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-10587437853850753422019-12-04T18:09:00.003-05:002019-12-04T18:09:42.019-05:00Attorney Joseph Rattman Retires<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">After 40 years of practice, attorney Joseph Rattman is retiring and closing his law office at 19 S. 6th St., Stroudsburg, PA as of 12/31/2019. If questions arise about previous representation or the file he can be reached by voicemail at 570-424-6035 or writing to P.O. Box 203, Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327. Prior clients should request anything right away since files are generally destroyed 5 years after representation ended.</span>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-19928987869215063742018-12-20T21:26:00.000-05:002018-12-20T21:26:17.416-05:00Ending the Right to a Social Security HearingThe latest attack on the disabled by the Trump Republican federal government is the proposal to end the right to a hearing in person before a Social Security Administrative Law Judge of appeals seeking Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability benefits. For several years, Social Security has been able to limit hearings to video appearances unless you promptly asked for a hearing to be scheduled in person when requesting the hearing. Now, Social Security has announced that they will decide whether a hearing in person will be offered, requiring the people accept a video hearing, or perhaps, at times, only a hearing by telephone. This continues the trend of stripping away rights and making it harder to qualify for disability benefits. Fewer claims and appeals have been approved in recent years. The latest proposal has been published in the Federal Register and can be read and commented upon at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/15/2018-24711/setting-the-manner-for-the-appearance-of-parties-and-witnesses-at-a-hearingJoseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-3712141744574461812018-10-16T20:49:00.000-04:002018-10-16T20:49:14.015-04:00Temporary Disability in PennsylvaniaThere is limited state help while waiting for SSD or SSI in PA:<br />
"<span style="color: #111111; font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Individuals can qualify for General Assistance (GA) if they:</span><br />
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<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Have a temporary or permanent disability; or</span></li>
<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Are a child under 18 who is not living with a relative; or</span></li>
<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Are between the ages of 18 and 21 and in high school; or</span></li>
<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Are caring for an unrelated child under the age of 13 or are caring for someone who is ill or</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">disabled; or</span></li>
<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Are a victim of domestic violence (benefits will be limited to 9 months in a lifetime); or</span></li>
<li style="color: #111111; font-family: SymbolMT; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Are in a drug or alcohol treatment program that prevents them from working (benefits will</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">be limited to 9 months in a lifetime)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">The maximum GA cash grant for individuals in most Pennsylvania counties who have no other in- come is $205 per month or $316 per month for a married couple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">Applications Are Now Being Taken For GA!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Those wishing to apply for GA may do so in person at their local </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">County Assistance Office </span><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">or online at</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">www.compass.state.pa.us</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">A face-to-face interview is required as part of the application process. Those who qualify can start receiving benefits as early as this fall, with benefits to be paid retroac- tively back to the date of eligibility. In general, that means the date all required application verifica- tion documents are submitted and an interview is completed."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: GentiumBasic; font-size: 12pt;">Source: PA Health Law Project</span></li>
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Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-91704915982018345792018-08-28T14:45:00.002-04:002018-08-28T14:48:58.681-04:00Need help with a Social Security hearing?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-75286124163731641162018-07-26T12:35:00.003-04:002018-07-26T12:35:35.516-04:00Is your case at the Social Security Appeals Council?<span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Attorney Charles Hall in North Carolina has </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">advised:</span><br /><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 24.479999542236328px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
"Your Get Out Of The Appeals Council Jail Free Card<span style="font-size: 15.84000015258789px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I said in an earlier post that I thought that because of the Supreme Court decision in <i><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-130_4f14.pdf" style="color: #ae340b; text-decoration: none;">Lucia v. SEC</a></i> that the Appeals Council might as well go ahead and remand virtually all the cases it has pending. Another attorney at my firm pointed out to me the reason why they have little choice, as long as a <i>Lucia</i> objection has been filed with the Appeals Council. They can’t realistically raise the objection that you failed to raise the issue before the ALJ because in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/17-130_4f14.pdf" style="color: #ae340b; text-decoration: none;"><i>Lucia</i><i> v. SEC</i></a> itself (slip opinion at 3), the objection was only raised before the Securities and Exchange Commission itself <b>after</b> the ALJ decision. Theoretically, one could say that issue was never considered by the Supreme Court but that's theoretical rather than an argument Social Security is at all likely to raise. Social Security can’t say that its ALJs are different from the SEC's ALJs since the </span></span><a href="https://static.reuters.com/resources/media/editorial/20180723/ALJ--SGMEMO.pdf" style="color: #ae340b; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84000015258789px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">Solicitor General memo</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84000015258789px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.84000015258789px; text-align: justify;">has conceded that they aren't.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> If you've got a case pending at the Appeals Council and you haven't already filed a <i>Lucia</i> objection, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">you'd better do so right away. Like today."</span></span></span></div>
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Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-84912706136674874132018-07-23T09:36:00.001-04:002018-07-23T09:36:34.378-04:00Ongoing Attacks on Social Security Hearing Judges and StaffRead about the ongoing attacks on Social Security Hearing Judges and the folks who process Social Security Disability and SSI applications, appeals and awards....<br />
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/07/17/social-security-recipients-could-be-collateral-damage-of-trumps-workforce-orders/?utm_term=.c2fde2c6a877">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/07/17/social-security-recipients-could-be-collateral-damage-of-trumps-workforce-orders/?utm_term=.c2fde2c6a877</a>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-37280189727816144122018-07-12T16:28:00.005-04:002018-07-12T16:28:56.506-04:00Trump Orders Social Security Hearing Judges Under His Control<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 1em;">
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I am sharing this warning from Social Security Works about an urgent threat: "This week, Trump signed an executive order which is designed to strip independence from the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) who review disability claims. This action comes after a lengthy misinformation campaign targeting Social Security’s disability program, including making the outrageous claim that it is not a “core” part of Social Security. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">The truth is, we have one Social Security system, and we need to protect it</strong> from political interference. This order will only ratchet up pressure to deny disability claims. By putting a Trump appointee over the shoulder of every decision, they seek to deny the due process to which every Social Security claimant is entitled. <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #127db3; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/9wA/ni0YAA/t.2j3/WrK4m2b_Q7izTHup0-pDAA/h1/WQ-2BlIwq7W2eCmkkcwbDiBV0Frf8aO-2BhheoIczpshG3Bq9k1H23GQgFR41diV5soQY8ed4lriO6dBqdbyUo79qoFdTR3AMBklGZwIPzdFv1X1Wl3eGHjzG8-2FEPf6VgiWhFgC9MqrFawK4k7qF1cV9g5shoQ-2FMmvwl6zB4FfF0ptxqOWXJWFwjhr2OIU2hPMTc88aS-2B3ikl-2FDC6J-2FMnvcfkK-2FHEV5CvOMto-2BNysaSh7syyWbbI5uMXB9x0OgR3m4ONcwDF0o5p2YFFJ0SDxOCh04bPKWu-2FOzLoymoZzgY0ZckEk-2FenavDC45nzxEIy5aKh" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #127db3; line-height: 18px;">Call on Congress to protect Social Security from political interference!</a> </strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">There is already a million-person backlog of claims for Social Security disability insurance.</strong> While Senator Bernie Sanders’ new SSA Fairness Act would fully fund the Social Security Administration to clear that backlog fairly and efficiently, Trump’s answer seems to be to hire judges who share his political agenda and will deny all of the claims. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Workers earn their disability benefits with every paycheck.</strong> Republicans are taking yet another step to deny some of the most vulnerable people in the country the benefits they've earned. ALJs are hardworking civil servants who are doing their best. Letting the Trump administration threaten their livelihood when they act with integrity is something we must all protest."</div>
Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-2695434991080235392018-04-25T12:16:00.002-04:002018-04-25T12:16:57.858-04:00Social Security Cuts ThreatenThere is more evidence that raising the Social Security retirement age is tough on people with disabilities, health problems and lower earnings. Proposals to raise the retirement age are part of the broad attack on Social Security that have caused delays in taking and deciding applications and appeals, and have caused the wait for Social Security appeal hearings and decisions to extend to about two years. There are fewer staff to answer the phone or solve even simple problems. More than ever, people need help from lawyers to get promised benefits, while years ago you could walk into the local Social Security office and quickly take care of business. Social Security benefits should be increased, not cut, and staff must be added so that claims are quickly and fairly decided.<br />
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http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-social-security-longevity-20180425-story.htmlJoseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-45854097221763789002018-01-19T10:51:00.001-05:002018-01-19T10:51:57.246-05:00Rep. Tom Marino Insults Constituent<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JI_FJXPQDSg" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-25890218337536126922017-12-06T11:03:00.001-05:002017-12-06T11:03:03.044-05:00Joseph Rattman Attorney At Law || Introduction<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BjXBgVlEGAg" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-6597079109201678882017-11-29T20:05:00.001-05:002017-11-29T20:05:02.873-05:00Rubio: Offset Tax Cuts By Reducing Social Security, Medicare Benefits<a href="https://www.fa-mag.com/news/rubio--offset-tax-cuts-by-reducing-social-security--medicare-benefits-35928.html">Rubio: Offset Tax Cuts By Reducing Social Security, Medicare Benefits</a>: Financial Advisor Magazine created exclusively for advisors by highly experienced editorial and publishing teams. We provide an interactive community for the Financial Advisor, Investment Advisor, Financial Planner, Financial Planning, RIA, Retirement Planning, ETFs, Alternative Investments, Investment News, Broker-Dealer, CFP, Wealth Manager. Financial Advisor magazine produces the Alternative Investment Strategies, Retirement Strategies, and Fiduciary Gatekeeper conferences. We also offer a variety of subscriber benefits including webinars and FREE subscription trials to valuable print and online products.Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-63695960219820392902017-09-18T13:34:00.001-04:002017-09-18T13:34:13.081-04:00Joseph Rattman Attorney At Law || Introduction<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BjXBgVlEGAg" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-40519441294689409342017-07-04T18:13:00.002-04:002017-07-04T18:13:55.090-04:00Off Task at WorkMany conditions would cause someone to be off task at times so that they could not sustain work and could not hold a job. This is a frequent issue in a Social Security Disability hearing addressed by the vocational expert called to testify by the Administrative Law Judge in most hearings. This is a reason why it is essential to have the help of an attorney at a hearing. A document posted to the Social Security website explains the problem well. See:<br />
https://www.ssa.gov/ndf/documents/Panelist%20-%20Kevin%20Liebkemann.pdf<br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Attorney Joseph Rattman is a Pocono Social Security Disability lawyer serving northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley over 30 years. Phone: 570-424-6035)</span>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-22423541735656949792017-04-15T12:12:00.000-04:002017-04-15T12:15:19.789-04:00Republican and Corporate Attacks on Social Security<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="5ttta" data-offset-key="u3bi-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="u3bi-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I sent this letter recently to the Washington Post:</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ffa3m-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I was disappointed to read your attack on Social Security Disability, insurance that all workers pay for throughout their working lives. Enrollment peaked several years ago as baby boomers reached the disability-prone years before retirement, as the Social Security actuary projected a generation ago. The benefits are mostly just above minimum wage, are very difficult to qualify for and come with Medicare only two and a half years after the worker becomes disabled. Your coverage fails to reflect this essential context and appears to advance the extremist agenda to dismantle the Social Security programs and the safety net generally. In an age when families mostly depend on two earners, government tax policy, decline in pensions and savings, together with growth in corporate monopoly power have hollowed out the middle class, so Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance matters more than ever. Shame on you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: normal;">Attorney Joseph Rattman is a Pocono Social Security Disability lawyer serving northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley over 30 years. Phone: 570-424-6035)</span></div>
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Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-71279699918836167742016-11-14T15:04:00.001-05:002016-11-14T15:04:17.795-05:00Social Security Disability delays worsening here and nationally<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">“The hearings and appeals process has experienced worsening timeliness and growing backlogs. For instance, the average processing time for a hearing increased 27 percent from 426 days at the end of FY 2010 to 543 days at the end of 2016. Moreover, during the same period, the pending hearings backlog grew 59 percent, from 705,367 cases at the end of FY 2010 to 1,122,014 at the end of FY 2016. In addition, the Appeals Council workload had grown 21 percent since FY 2010 to about 129,000 pending appeals at the end of FY 2016, and average processing time during the same period increased about 13 percent from 345 to 389 days.” Source: https://oig.ssa.gov/sites/default/files/audit/full/pdf/A-02-17-50240.pdf</span>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-41849369361293953992016-09-19T09:05:00.002-04:002016-09-19T09:05:31.159-04:00Only voting Democrat will protect Social Security"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 17px;">Does it make sense to vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president? Sure, as long as you believe two things. First, you have to believe that it makes no difference at all whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump moves into the White House — because one of them will. Second, you have to believe that America will be better off in the long run if we eliminate environmental regulation, abolish the income tax, do away with public schools, and dismantle Social Security and Medicare — which is what the </span><a href="https://www.lp.org/platform" style="color: #326891; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 17px;">Libertarian platform</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 17px;"> calls for." See Krugman </span>http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/opinion/vote-as-if-it-matters.html?smid=fb-nytopinion&smtyp=curJoseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-7370695473586838942016-02-10T13:13:00.000-05:002016-02-10T13:13:41.729-05:00Social Security hearing delays worsen in Pennsylvania<span style="color: #666666; font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Social Security made fewer than 508,000 decisions (including dismissals) at the ALJ hearing level in Fiscal Year 2015, while receiving more than 746,000 hearing requests. This discrepancy means that even with the level of funding the President requested and the additional staff it could support, SSA estimates that wait times for hearings will increase to 555 days in Fiscal Year 2017. As of January, 2016, the situation was already worse in the Wilkes-Barre hearing office, which had an average processing time of 514 days, compared to 542 days in Pennsylvania and 493 days nationally. Congress needs to provide resources to solve this crisis. If you would like to discuss this problem, call Attorney Rattman at 570-424-6035.</span></span>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-56078228331395172302016-01-26T19:19:00.001-05:002016-01-26T19:19:58.263-05:00American Horizon | Bernie Sanders<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZpGqLSAaOw0" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-7708772611243482102016-01-07T16:00:00.001-05:002016-01-07T16:00:38.013-05:00Health Rights Clinic Files Federal Suit Against Social Security AdministrationThe delays to get a Social Security hearing in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown and Bethlehem are getting worse too, it is taking longer to get a decision from an Administrative Law Judge and the number of approval have been declining. I would be happy to discuss your Social Security Disability or SSI claim. Here is a link to an article about a lawsuit trying to speed up the appeals.<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.law.miami.edu/news/2015/october/health-rights-clinic-files-federal-suit-against-social-security-administration">Health Rights Clinic Files Federal Suit Against Social Security Administration</a>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-67664664743875548542015-10-29T13:35:00.001-04:002015-10-29T13:35:54.346-04:00Joseph Rattman Attorney At Law || Introduction<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BjXBgVlEGAg" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-49488745141406295692015-05-08T13:16:00.001-04:002015-05-08T13:16:04.843-04:00Social Security Disability Hearings in Pennsylvania
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Under pressure from congressional republicans, the Social
Security Administration has launched a major new effort to find examples of
fraud in the disability programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is intended to justify changes in the law to cut disability
benefits and to turn the American public against Social Security Disability and
SSI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Social Security Judges
are already under pressure to deny more claims and the Appeals Council has been
holding up awards and sending back approved cases for new hearings, questioning
favorable decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Approvals have been steadily declining for a few years at the Wilkes-Barre ODAR and elsewhere. </span>The political
climate for the disabled has not been this bad since the reviews and terminations
of a half million disabled claimants in the early 1980s led to the Disability
Reform Act of 1984.</div>
Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-86179067067909486432015-03-31T21:01:00.000-04:002015-03-31T21:01:06.093-04:00Considering SymptomsSocial Security has always had problems evaluating pain and other symptoms. Now a new government report explores the problem:<br />
https://www.acus.gov/sites/default/files/documents/SSA%20Symptom%20Evaluation_%20Final%20Report.pdfJoseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-21188260212265081352015-03-31T16:05:00.001-04:002015-03-31T16:05:09.676-04:00In Vote to Expand Social Security, 42 Democratic Senators Vote Yes While Every Republican Votes No | Alternet<a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/vote-expand-social-security-42-democratic-senators-vote-yes-while-every-republican#.VRr96M5KsWg.blogger">In Vote to Expand Social Security, 42 Democratic Senators Vote Yes While Every Republican Votes No | Alternet</a>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-16146163038300597942015-03-25T21:41:00.001-04:002015-03-25T21:41:21.095-04:00Vaccines do not cause autism, they save lives<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mLHnUjhzv9E" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212229403368323392.post-25747612993677091712015-02-22T16:28:00.001-05:002015-02-22T16:28:53.987-05:00Bernie Sanders' Message for Social Security Works Members<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AsN1ytPGyAo" width="480"></iframe>Joseph Rattmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09408193306926129239noreply@blogger.com0