This excellent Social Security blog post by Charles Charles Hall shared a list of crazy rules from the regulation book for Social Secuirty employees:
Laurence Kotlikoff has a list of excerpts from Social Security’s Program Operations Manual Series (POMS)
1 “Even if we caused the (benefits) overpayment, you must show that you are without fault.”
2. Cash benefits for disabled workers end “the month before the month you die.”
3 “The lump-sum payment cannot be paid on the earnings record of a worker who dies in or after the month we receive notice of deportation or removal.”
4.”What does ‘actually paid’ mean? Actual payment occurs when you are actually paid.”
,4. “Third parties may assist a claimant when completing the (online) application, but the claimant must be present to select the ‘Submit Now’ button.”
5. “The illegality of an activity does not prevent it from being a trade or business. For example, professional gamblers, bookies, etc. may be engaged in a trade or business. If you’re in this category, you are considered self-employed and are required to report your income and pay self-employment taxes.”
6. “We may always make a new initial determination whenever a change occurs in the factual situation despite how much time elapses from the date of that change.”
7. “The fact that we determine that a claimant meets the requirements for entitlement does not preclude us from making another determination that the claimant no longer meets those requirements at some subsequent date.”
8. “In a disappearance case where the body is not recovered, you must clearly prove the death of the missing person. Submit all available evidence, including: statements of persons having knowledge of the situation; (or) letters or notes left by the missing person that have a bearing on the case.”
Social Security representatives are instructed: “Do not attempt to explain the rationale for any particular operational guidelines, nor go to any great lengths to justify them.”
We always hope that people shouldn’t need a lawyer to get the benefits they deserve, but this is a good illustration of why that’s not so true.