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Recently, the Social Security’s Inspector General, Patrick O’Carroll, has been spending more time focusing on a tropical island in the Caribbean, and not in hopes of a vacation. Last March, an article was launched in the Wall Street Journal alleging that rates of acceptance for Social Security Disability benefits were much higher in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico than they were in the rest of the United States.

The United States and Canada have long been friendly neighbors that are willing to work together, and that includes matters of retirement benefits. In 1984, the U.S. and Canada made an agreement, aptly named the US-Canada agreement, which allows citizens who have lived and worked in both countries to receive qualifications and/or retirement and disability benefits that they would otherwise not qualify for in just one of the countries because of split residency.

It a continuing effort to streamline the disability claim determination process and eliminate its load of backlogged cases, the SSA has been working closely with health care providers to provide a new way for them to submit the necessary medical records, known as Electronic Records Express.

Social Security retirement benefits, SSDI, and SSI (also known as Title XVI benefits) have long been hot topics between opposing political parties and candidates. This year, in particular, the issue of a much-needed reform the Social Security system has been the cause of intense debates in both the House and Senate. As incumbent President Obama’s term nears an end, rival politicians have risen to the challenge of debating these and other issues in efforts to sway popular opinion and win a presidential nomination from their parties.

There is a debate going on right now regarding whether or not to raise Social Security payroll taxes.

While many have heard that Republicans want to raise Social Security taxes in order to address the budget deficits, President Obama has other plans. In fact, Obama wants to keep taxes lower, leaving more money with American households where people are struggling due to the current economic crisis.

Each year the Social Security Administration receives millions of claims for Social Security Disability benefits. Statistics show us that between 60 and 70 percent of the claims that are filed by disabled workers are denied by the SSA. This means that millions of disability applicants are faced with the overwhelming task of pursuing a Social Security Disability appeal in order to receive the benefits they need.

Is an appeal always the right step to take? Or is it sometimes better to start an entirely new Social Security Disability claim altogether?

Social Security reform has without a doubt become one of the major hot button issues of today’s political climate. Rumors of insolvency and dire predictions of benefits cuts abound.

Everyone has a stance and everyone has an idea when it comes to Social Security reform, but it seems that actually putting any of those ideas into action is becoming increasingly difficult as the ideological debate about the role of so-called “entitlement” programs in our society heats up.

Everyone understands the financial challenges that the Social Security Administration is currently facing. We keep hearing that the programs that are run by this Administration will do not have adequate funding to meet their financial responsibilities. We keep hearing rumors that Social Security Disability recipients may stop receiving their checks at some point in the future, and that if something is not done to change the system, the retirement benefits that so many rely on will soon be diminished or cut altogether.

It's no secret that funding is an issue for the Social Security Administration lately. You would think that in times such as these, the SSA would be keeping a watchful eye over its funds. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. In fact, not only is the SSA not doing everything possible to cut unnecessary costs, but it has also recently come to light that the SSA actually blew $8 billion in improper payments.

In most cases it will take a Social Security Disability applicant two years or more to receive an approval for Social Security Disability benefits. However, that was not the case for some of the Social Security Disability applicants who were dealing with Margarita Diaz, 40, a claims representative at the Social Security Administration office in Jersey City.