Joseph Seall of Summit, Mississippi worked hard his entire life. He served his country in the Army Air Rescue Corps and made a life for himself and his family as a surveyor in and around Pike County, Mississippi.  He was diagnosed with terminal cancer, applied for and was approved for Social Security disability benefits.  There is an automatic five-month waiting period for these benefits – a waiting period that cannot be waived or bypassed.  The day after Joseph Seall passed away, his widow received his first disability check.

Government must not be so inflexible with rules that specific and necessary circumstances cannot trigger exceptional treatment.  Last week, Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) and I introduced the Joseph H. Seall Act of 2007 (HR 2713).  This bill would allow the Commissioner of Social Security to waive the five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits for terminally ill individuals.  The legislation also requires the Commissioner of Social Security to conduct a study of the Social Security disability claims process and make recommendations to Congress for improvements and reforms.

My district staff caseworkers can attest that Joseph Seall’s situation is not unique.  I’m sure my colleagues from across the country have similar experiences with their constituents.  This legislation does not require a huge policy shift in Social Security, it simply allows the Commissioner of Social Security to use common sense and common compassion to be flexible and allow exceptions when qualified beneficiaries face terminal illness.

I look forward to working with Congressman Pomeroy to move this legislation.  His commitment to our veterans and to those who need Social Security assistance, as well as his service on the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means committee, makes him a valuable advocate for this bipartisan legislation. (Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is also an original cosponsor of this legislation.)

This is an easy fix for a specific problem within Social Security and I hope my colleagues join me in ensuring that in future cases, families will not see the benefits for their loved ones arrive only after they are too late to help.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 2:10 pm and is filed under Healthcare, Politics .