ECONOMIC SECURITY
NSCLC seeks to preserve, strengthen, expand and improve access to programs such as Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that provide income security to millions of older adults and people with disabilities.
We achieve our objectives through litigation, policy advocacy, and technical assistance to advocates including case consultations, training and written materials.
2013 Priorities
We seek to:
- Strengthen Social Security and advocate for adoption of the consumer price index for the elderly (CPI-E)
- Update and restore the SSI program so that it is aligned with its original vision
- Improve the Social Security Administration’s non-disability appeals process, seek workable policies that ensure proper accommodations for people with disabilities
- Protect Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and ensure that settled or decided cases that restored benefits to many elderly poor are not overturned
- Play a lead role in enhancing language access policies for both programs.
- End discrimination of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender couples in Social Security benefits
- Extend the time limit for refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants
2012 Accomplishments
Last year, NSCLC:
- Launched an educational campaign to update the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program
- Ensured that at least 140,000 people, whose Social Security and SSI benefits were suspended or denied because of an outstanding warrant for an alleged violation of probation or parole, will receive a total of some $1 billion in back Social Security benefits
- Initiated a special project to fix the broken SSI appeals system that currently denies due process rights to many low-income older adults
- Educated advocates about the potential benefit for individuals who would qualify for Social Security spousal or survivor benefis based same sex marriage were it not for the Defense of Marriage Act
