{"id":2919,"date":"2023-05-15T09:45:25","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T09:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alcleanscarpet.site\/Weatherby\/2023\/05\/15\/government-agency-provides-misinformation\/"},"modified":"2023-06-06T13:51:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T13:51:29","slug":"government-agency-provides-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alcleanscarpet.site\/Weatherby\/government-agency-provides-misinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Government Agency Provides Misinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the estate planning work we do for our clients, we need to know how to deal with a number of different government agencies.\u00a0 Depending on a client\u2019s age and personal circumstances, we often help facilitate claims for benefits though the Connecticut Department of Social Services (\u201cDSS\u201d), and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (\u201cVA\u201d). Many clients are also navigating their way through claims with the United States Social Security Administration (\u201cSSA\u201d).\u00a0 Frustratingly, each of those agencies has separate and confusing rules, and those rules and procedures are constantly changing.\u00a0 So we devote a lot of time and effort into keeping abreast of those changes. \u00a0And we are always trying to figure out the best way to sort through all of the associated complexities.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes we are asked if benefit claims are things that people can handle on their own without a need for lawyer.\u00a0 Our answer tends to be: sure.\u00a0 But there is a very big caveat.\u00a0 That is to say, as challenging as we find it to keep up with the agencies\u2019 rules and processes, just imagine how much more challenging it can be to an uninformed family that tries to tackle benefit claims on their own!\u00a0 And it does not help that the agencies themselves often end up making it even more difficult for families to know their options and to make the best decisions.<\/p>\n<p>In a report issued in September 2016, the United States Governmental Accountability Office (\u201cGAO\u201d) made several discouraging findings.\u00a0 <em>See<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/GAO-16-786?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/GAO-16-786?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery<\/a>.\u00a0 First, the GAO looked at 9 other surveys and academic studies.\u00a0 Based on the material reviewed, the GAO concluded that many individuals simply do not understand many important key details of the rules of Social Security.\u00a0 They tend to not understand how benefits are calculated, what sort of benefits are available to spouses, and how much benefits can change if a retiree delays collecting benefits longer.\u00a0 And they have little understanding of the concept of life expectancy and how that should figure into retirement claim decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Second, the GAO analyzed 30 in-person claims made by retirees at SSA field offices.\u00a0 GAO found that those retirees were not consistently being provided with the key information needed to make wise benefit decisions.\u00a0 In 26 of those situations the claimant would have been better off waiting several years before beginning to collect their retirement benefits.\u00a0 Yet 8 of those 26 retirees received no guidance whatsoever on making that better choice.\u00a0 SSA\u2019s own procedural manual states that claim specialists should explain the advantages and disadvantages of filing an application so that the individual can make an informed filing decision. \u00a018 of the subject retirees were subject to the SSA\u2019s retirement earnings test.\u00a0 But 7 of those retirees received no information about that test and how it works.\u00a0 Similar inadequacies were found in a review of the SSA\u2019s computer system used for online applications.<\/p>\n<p>We can tell you it is even more frustrating at times to hear about the misinformation families have received from the VA and from DSS in dealing with long-term care claims.\u00a0 Families need to understand that all agencies have limited benefit dollars to pay out. \u00a0It is not in the best interest of the agencies to make it easy for claimants to collect.\u00a0 And it does not help in the least that many agency representatives do not understand their own rules and regulations.\u00a0 That is why it is so important to hire an advocate to help fight for you.<\/p>\n<p>So like many things in life, you get what you pay for.\u00a0 We are proud of the assistance we have provided to countless families to obtain thousands of dollars in benefits.\u00a0 And we are confident that those families would regard the legal counseling and advice we provided as a wise investment.<\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions about the issues presented above or care to discuss any other planning issues, please call us at 860-769-6938, visit our website at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.weatherby-associates.com\">http:\/\/www.weatherby-associates.com<\/a> or email us at <a href=\"mailto:info@weatherby-associates.com\">info@weatherby-associates.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/weatherby-associates.com\/government-agency-provides-misinformation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the estate planning work we do for our clients, we need to know how to deal with a number of different government agencies.\u00a0 Depending on a client\u2019s age and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ 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