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CASH Program (Free tax prep)
Join us for our Celebration of Leadership event on November 19! Lean More
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced an increase in the annual contribution limit for Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts for the 2026 tax year. The new aggregate contribution limit is set at $20,000 compared to the previous year’s limit of $19,000. This adjustment reflects inflation-indexed increases tied to the federal gift tax exclusion. In addition to this standard rate […]
...As we reported in our October newsletter, the Social Security Administration (SSA) included in its Spring 2025 Regulatory Agenda a proposal to dramatically change the rules it uses to determine whether a person can work in its disability determinations. After what The Washington Post described an “uproar” from advocates and others concerned about its impact on claimants, SSA has since abandoned its plan. Advocates applauded the decision. Experts had warned that the […]
...Welcome to the October 2025 quarterly issue of Disability Law News. This month, we begin with a look at recent leadership changes at the Social Security Administration (SSA), including Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s recent appointment at the IRS, and the implications of the federal government shutdown on agency operations and court deadlines. We also report on […]
...In some good news for Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) clients in the Hudson Valley, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that its recently renovated West Nyack field office will now house a hearing room for in-person disability hearings. This marks the first return of in-person hearing capacity to the region since SSA permanently closed […]
...On October 1, 2025, the federal government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass funding legislation for the new fiscal year. With many agencies facing lapses, the question on many minds is: What does this mean for Social Security benefits and services? The good news: For individuals who are already receiving benefits from the […]
...Advocates appearing before the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Albany Office of Hearing Operations (OHO) are seeing one administrative law judge (ALJ) independently scrutinizing the testimony of a particular vocational expert (VE). In three favorable decisions issued in August 2025, the ALJ found the VE’s testimony unreliable and unpersuasive. In the first case, the ALJ checked […]
...As discussed in our July 2025 issue, beginning September 30, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury ended the use of paper checks for nearly all federal benefit recipients. This transition, now in effect, represents the final step in a long-running effort to modernize benefit delivery and require electronic […]
...Recent investigations, media coverage, and a new lawsuit are all calling attention to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) ongoing customer service issues. While agency leadership claims that service has improved, there is broad consensus – among oversight bodies, advocates, and journalists – that significant problems remain unresolved and that transparency about the agency’s performance is […]
...Andrea Sasala, said goodbye to the Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) recently after a respectable tenure at Long Island Legal Services. We spoke with the long-time DAPper to learn more about her time with DAP as she settled into her well-earned retirement. What first drew you to DAP, and what motivated you to stay in […]
...The Social Security Administration (SSA) issued Emergency Message (EM) 25029 REV on August 28, 2025, which revises its prior internal instructions for implementing the default withholding rate of 50% of a person’s monthly benefit for Title II overpayments. This rate was first adopted in April 2025, as we reported in our April newsletter article, and […]
...The Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued Emergency Message (EM) 24059 Revision 2, revising its policy on walk-in visits at field offices nationwide. The update, released August 6, 2025, builds upon prior guidance issued in December 2024 and marks a significant shift toward appointment-based service, while reaffirming that certain individuals must still be accommodated for […]
...The Social Security Administration (SSA) finally released its Spring 2025 Regulatory Agenda on September 4, 2025, previewing two major proposed rules that could radically reshape the disability programs administered under Title XVI (SSI) and Title II (SSDI). While the public-facing descriptions of the proposals are sparse, reporting by The Washington Post and recent analyses by […]
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