To Do For All That Which No One Can Do For Oneself
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Social Security is Under Siege and No One is Talking About It

July 26th, 2016 | Posted by admin in Budget | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Six ways the agency, its employees, and the American people will be hurt if they get their way:

1. A 10-day furlough of all SSA employees

2. An agency-wide hiring freeze

3. A reduction in local office hours

4. Permanent closing of many field offices

5. Increases in wait times on the national 1-800 number and field offices

6. An increase in processing time for benefits

 

On every paycheck you earn, you’re made a promise. The money deducted for Social Security is a promise that protects us all against the risk of lost income for our family in the event of the disability or death of a breadwinner, and in retirement. Social Security isn’t just a promise from the U.S. Government – it’s a commitment we’ve made to each other.

Social Security helps everyone, from the retirees who receive benefits after decades of hard work, to millions of children who depend on it to survive. In 2014, 3.2 million American kids directly received Social Security benefits, mostly as the result of a parent passing away. It also serves as a lifeline to the 10 million workers who are too injured to work, or disabled.

LINK: More information

 

Submit your FSA Claims by July 29, 2016

July 4th, 2016 | Posted by admin in Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

DID YOU GET THIS NOTICE ABOUT YOUR FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT?

On March 1, 2016, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) awarded the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) contract to WageWorkEOBs, Inc.  Effective Thursday, September 1, 2016, the FSAFEDS program will transition administration from ADP to WageWorks.  The current phone number, fax number, and website (www.FSAFEDS.com) will continue to be used, once WageWorks assumes administration of FSAFEDS. 

There will, however, be a blackout period, as part of the transition of contractors, when certain services are not accessible or available.

 Below are the blackout dates for specific FSAFEDS services:

Claims Submission

·The claims submission blackout period begins on Saturday, July 30, 2016 and ends Thursday, September 1, 2016.  This means that no claims can be submitted during this period.

· Participants must submit any eligible claims electronically by 4:00 p.m. eastern time on Friday, July 29, 2016.  If submitted by mail, then claims must be postmarked by Wednesday, July 20, 2016, to be processed prior to the start of the blackout period.

· All approved claims submitted by these deadlines will be paid by Monday, August 8, 2016.

· Any eligible claims that are not submitted prior to these deadlines – and claims for any expenses you incur during the blackout period – can be submitted beginning Thursday, September 1, 2016.

· Paperless reimbursement claims will be suspended on Friday, July 29, 2016 as well, and processing of these claims will resume on Thursday, September 8, 2016.

Website & Phone Line

·  The website and phone line will transition between Friday, August 26, 2016 and Thursday, September 1, 2016.

· The website, for general research, will not be available between Friday, August 26, 2016 and Thursday, September 1, 2016.

· During the phone line transition from Friday, August 26, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. eastern time to Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. eastern time, employees will not be able to reach a representative and will receive a prerecorded message.

·  Participants also cannot access their online accounts during the transition period of 5:00 p.m. eastern time on Friday, August 26, 2016 to 9:00 a.m. eastern time on Thursday, September 1, 2016.

Fax Number

· The same fax number will be used by WageWorks; however, the fax number should not be used during the transition period of Saturday, July 30, 2016 to Thursday, September 1, 2016.

Plan-year dates, election amount, and available balance will remain the same.

Participants will receive additional information and/or reminders over the next few months from FSAFEDS.

FSAFEDS will also communicate if any of the above dates will change.

Questions regarding FSAFEDS, including this transition, can be directed to FSAFEDS at (877) 372-3337 orFSAFEDS@ADP.com.