FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-9263
March 15, 2000
No. SS-12
Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr., (R-FL), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing examining work incentives in the Social Security disability program for those who are blind and those with other disabilities. The hearing will take place on Thursday, March 23, 2000, in room B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include policy experts and advocates for blind and disabled individuals as well as beneficiaries who have been affected by these policies. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND:
Social Security provides benefits for individuals who are blind or disabled and unable to work because of their medical conditions. To qualify for benefits, an individual must be unable to perform work for pay due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment. A person is considered able to work or engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) if earning at or above a certain dollar level (known as the SGA level). The SGA test applies to both determining initial and continuing eligibility for benefits.
Prior to 1977, all disability beneficiaries, as well as blind beneficiaries, were subject to the same SGA limit, established in regulation by the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Amendments of 1977 (P.L. 95-216) increased the amount of the SGA limit for blind beneficiaries to the same amount as the age 65 earnings limit, but did not change the SGA limit for all other disabled beneficiaries. The Contract with America Advancement Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-121) increased the age 65 earnings limit, but did not change current law with respect to the blind.
In 2000, the SGA limit for blind beneficiaries is $1,170 per month and this amount is indexed annually for wage growth. The limit for non-blind disability beneficiaries was increased from $500 to $700 per month in July 1999, after remaining at the same level for the past 10 years.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Shaw stated: "We should do all we can so every disabled worker has opportunities and incentives to stay in the workforce. Everyone wants that. That is what the Ticket to Work legislation passed last year was all about. But we need to do more. This hearing will help to show us the way."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The hearing will focus on the role of earnings in determining initial and continuing eligibility for disability benefits, a review of the differences in current law for blind individuals and those who have other disabilities, and an assessment of costs and employment experiences of individuals who are blind and individuals with other disabilities.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Thursday, April 6, 2000, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Social Security office, room B-316 Rayburn House Office Building, by close of business the day before the hearing.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press, and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities.
If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or
202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is
requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general
(including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be
directed to the Committee as noted above.