Category: Social Security
Welcome to our Social Security category, where we provide essential resources to help you understand and navigate the Social Security benefits system. Social Security plays a crucial role in managing your finances, especially if you’re blind, and it’s important to know what benefits are available and how to access them. Here, you’ll find the information and tools you need to confidently make the most of what Social Security offers, ensuring you can effectively incorporate these benefits into your financial planning.
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Understanding the Earnings Cliff: What Employers and Employees Need to Know
Earlier this week, Penny Forward Benefits Counselor Jenny Holcomb and I talked to members of VisionServe Alliance about Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and ways to keep benefits while working. It was a great discussion, and I want to share some key points with you because I believe we all have…
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Disability Advocates Sue Social Security Administration and DOGE to Stop Unlawful Cuts to Social Security Services
The lawsuit alleges that recent mass staffing reductions, policies requiring individuals to seek services in person at field offices, and the elimination of critical offices within the SSA unlawfully harm Americans with disabilities and older adults who rely on Social Security services.
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Social Security Changes in 2025Jenny Holcomb
We’ve been hearing a lot about changes to Social Security. This article will address the most relevant recent changes.
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My First NFB Washington Seminar: Advocacy, Frustration, and Hope
Last week, I participated in my first National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Washington Seminar, and let me tell you, it was an experience I won’t soon forget. The energy, the passion, and the sense of purpose were palpable. Hundreds of blind people from all over the country came together with one goal: to advocate…
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Why I’m in Washington, D.C. This Week—And Why You Should Take Action Too
Blind Americans deserve equal access, financial independence, and fair employment. This week, I’m in Washington, D.C., advocating for critical legislative changes—but you don’t have to be here to make a difference. Learn how you can take action from home and support the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind in…
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Social Security Matters: ABLE Act – 10 Years of Progress for People With Disabilities
On December 19, 2024, we mark the tenth anniversary of the Stephen Beck, Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which allows eligible people with disabilities to open a savings and investment account. ABLE investment growth is not taxable and is not countable income if the funds are used to pay for qualified disability expenses…
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Simplified Online SSI Application Now Available as First Step in Larger Effort
Originally posted to the Social Security Matters Blog on December 16th, 2024 An online application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is now available for some adults, making the application process easier. Following up on an announcement earlier this year, the simplified online application is part of the agency’s overall commitment to improving access to our benefits…
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Resources to Help Medicare Enrollees Preserve Financial Assistance for Drug Costs
Source: National Center On Law & Elder Rights September 20, 2024 The Low-Income Subsidy, known as LIS or “Extra Help” is a program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides financial assistance with Medicare Part D prescription drug costs including premiums and co-pays. Each year in September, some individuals with the LIS will…
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Social Security Administration: We’re Making It Easier To Do Business With Us Electronically
Source: Social Security Matters, September 5, 2024 We’ve heard your preference to do business with us electronically. You want to submit forms, evidence, and other information online. If your signature is needed, you want to be able to sign documents electronically before submitting them. We’ve released the eSignature/Upload Documents as an option to submit documents. This new, online…
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Social Security Administration Announces New Efforts to Simplify SSI Applications
From Social Security Matters August 27, 2024 Today, the Social Security Administration announced a large step in a multi-year effort to simplify processes for people who are applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) by starting to offer an online, streamlined application for some applicants starting in December. SSI provides monthly payments to people with disabilities…