Posts Tagged ‘social security administration’

Federal Programs for Supporting Brain Injury Caregivers and Victims

Legislation

One of the first major efforts by the U.S. government to acknowledge the need for special attention and action on the part of victims of traumatic brain injury was the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990. Yet, it took another six years before the Traumatic Brain Injury Act formally acknowledged brain injury as a major disability population. It authorizes research specific to traumatic brain injury, and strategies to prevent and increase awareness of this injury and improve access to services.

Many bills have been introduced, such as the Medicare Access to Complex Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Act, Kinship Caregiver Support Act, Keeping Families Together Act of 2007, and others which help caregivers with access to needed services, a wider choice of appropriate services, and making the transition between options. Some of these acts expand the services allowed under existing programs, and others create new programs.

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Advances on Social Security Payments

Nearly 20 percent of Social Security recipients depend solely on their payments to meet their monthly needs and more than half rely primarily on them to make ends meet each month. The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Program, administered by the U. S. Social Security Administration, provides to millions of elderly, widowed, and disabled American citizens their only regular source of income. The program, created under the Social Security Act of 1935, is a social insurance safety net funded through a dedicated payroll tax paid equally by employers and employees during their entire working lives.

Social Security paid out almost 0 billion in benefits in 2004. The U.S. Social Security program is the largest and most successful government program in the world, and the most durable.

Since 1975, recipients of Social Security payments have been able to enroll in the Direct Deposit of Federal Recurring Payments Program in which they designate a financial institution to receive an electronic deposit on their behalf rather than a paper check through the mail. They were the first group of recipients of Federal benefits to be able to participate in this program and, from inception, they have accepted it readily as a way to receive their funds quickly, safely, and conveniently. As a bonus to all taxpayers, the Federal government saves million each month because direct deposit is less expensive than the paper check system that preceded it. After 24 years of Direct Deposit Program availability, 80 percent of recipients elected to use it rather than receive checks in the mail. In 2000, Direct Deposit became mandatory for new recipients and checks are now issued only in certain circumstances. The Direct Deposit Program is also available to recipients of Supplemental Security Income payments administered by Social Security and other Federal payments programs such as Veterans Disability, Railroad Retirement, Miner’s Benefits, and military and civilian agency pensions.

» Read more: Advances on Social Security Payments