Social Security Administration October 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are giving notice that an agreement coordinating the United States (U.S.) and Uruguayan social security programs effective on November 1, 2018. The Agreement with Uruguay, which was signed on January 10, 2017, is similar to U.S. social security agreements already in force with 27 other countriesAustralia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Section 233 of the Social Security Act authorizes agreements of this type. Like the other agreements, the U.S.-Uruguayan Agreement eliminates dual social security coverage. This situation exists when a worker from one country works in the other country and has coverage under the social security systems of both countries for the same work. Without such agreements in force, when dual coverage occurs, the worker, the worker's employer, or both may be required to pay social security contributions to the two countries simultaneously. Under the U.S.- Uruguayan Agreement, a worker who is sent by an employer in one country to work in the other country for 5 or fewer years remains covered only by the sending country. The Agreement includes additional rules that eliminate dual U.S. and Uruguayan coverage in other work situations. The Agreement also helps eliminate situations where workers suffer a loss of benefit rights because they have divided their careers between the two countries. Under the Agreement, workers may qualify for partial U.S. benefits or partial Uruguayan benefits based on combined (totalized) work credits from both countries. Persons who wish to receive copies of the agreement or who want more information about its provisions may write to the Social Security Administration, Office of International Programs, Post Office Box 17741, Baltimore, MD 21235-7741 or visit the Social Security website at www.socialsecurity.gov/international. The full text of the agreement and its accompanying administrative arrangement are available at https://www.ssa.gov/international/Agreement_Texts/uruguay.htm l.

On January 18, 2017, we published final rules in the Federal Register revising our medical evidence rules. Those final rules inadvertently included a typographical error. This document corrects the final regulations.

We propose to amend our regulations to prohibit persons convicted of certain crimes from serving as representative payees under the Social Security Act (Act). We are proposing these revisions because of changes to the Act made by the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018.

We are providing notice of SSR 18-01p, which rescinds and replaces SSR 83-20, ``Titles II and XVI: Onset of Disability,'' except as noted here. This SSR clarifies how we determine the EOD in disability claims under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act (Act). Specifically, it addresses how we determine the EOD in claims that involve traumatic, non-traumatic, and exacerbating and remitting impairments. This ruling also addresses special considerations related to the EOD, such as work activity and previously adjudicated periods. Additionally, this SSR clarifies that an administrative law judge may, but is not required to, call upon the services of a medical expert, to assist with inferring the date that the claimant first met the statutory definition of disability. We concurrently published a separate SSR, SSR 18-02p, ``Titles II and XVI: Determining the Established Onset Date (EOD) in Blindness Claims,'' to discuss how we determine the EOD in statutory blindness claims. SSR 18-02p rescinds and replaces two parts of SSR 83-20. Specifically, SSR 18-02p rescinds and replaces the subsection, ``Title II: Blindness Cases,'' under the section, ``Technical Requirements and Onset of Disability''; and the subsection, ``Title XVISpecific Onset is Necessary,'' which is also under the section ``Technical Requirements and Onset of Disability,'' as it applies to statutory blindness claims. Therefore, SSR 83-20 is completely rescinded and replaced by SSR 18-01p and SSR 18-02p.