Economic Security

NSCLC seeks to preserve, strengthen, expand and improve access to programs such as Social Security and Supplemental Security Income 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.

Priorities for 2011 include:

• Ensuring that Social Security and SSI benefits are protected
• Making sure that recent cases affecting hundreds of thousands of low income recipients are not overturned
• Working in coalition to enhance Social Security benefits and make needed improvements to SSI
• Ensure appropriate implementation and enhancement of its language access policy
• Gain recognition, acceptance and usage of the Elder Economic Security Index
• End discrimination against LGBT couples in Social Security
• Improve the SSA non-disability appeals process, its Section 504 policy and the time limited period of eligibility for SSI for refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants

In 2010, NSCLC spread the word about the 2009 class action settlement for Martinez v Astrue. NSCLC led the fight to restore benefits to so-called “fugitive felons” and secured a $700 million settlement with the Social Security Administration. We also achieved better access for the Blind to Social Security benefits information (American Council for the Blind v Astrue) and successfully challenged the agency’s policy of prohibiting payment of benefits to those who allegedly have an outstanding warrant for violation of parole (Clark v Astrue).

Read our annual report to find out more.