Kaplan v. Flemming
Kaplan v. Flemming
Opinion of the Court
In this action for review of a final decision of the Social Security Administration
On October 16, 1959 the Social Security Administration rendered a final decision upon a claim for Old Age Insurance benefits filed by plaintiff which held that he had received certain payments at a time when he was not entitled to them and that as a result his present payments are to be reduced by the amount he improperly received. Plaintiff challenges this decision.
Plaintiff, who was born December 4, 1890, applied for Old Age benefits on June 28, 1956, based upon wages received from a private employer prior to 1951 and upon wages earned as a private tutor during the years 1954 and 1955. His application was granted and he was awarded Old Age benefits in the amount of $30 a month. At the time of his initial application in 1956 plaintiff was employed by the New York City Board of Education and had been since 1919, but such employment was not covered by the
Before a decision on the application was rendered the “Kean Amendment”
Originally plaintiff based his complaint and motion upon two objections, first, that the Kean Amendment should not apply to plaintiff’s application and, second, if so, that the Kean Amendment is unconstitutional.
It is true that plaintiff has been subjected to the annoyance of a certain amount of delay in the consideration of his application, aggravated further by the failure of the Government’s representatives to answer pertinent letters. This, however, offers no ground for plaintiff’s claim. Plaintiff’s review is limited to the record. Johnson v. Flemming, D.C.Or.1960, 188 F.Supp. 447, 449. There has been no evidence adduced as to an undue delay in the consideration of plaintiff’s claim or that there has been any causal connection between such alleged delay and the denial of plaintiff’s claim by the defendant. Assuming arguendo that there was such a nexus, no case has been found providing a remedy for the Government’s failure to promptly process a claim made before one of its agencies or departments. Plaintiff’s
The Kean Amendment is not unconstitutional because of its retroactive effect, a fact which plaintiff now admits. In effect, the Amendment provides that with regard to employees of a state or political subdivision of a state “sick pay” must be included in the definition of “wages” in computing (a) deductions representing excess earnings to be applied against benefits to which a claimant would otherwise be entitled, and (b) the amount of increased benefits which a claimant is thereafter entitled to receive. Plaintiff has no objection to the inclusion by defendant of “sick pay” in the definition of "wages” for the purpose of computing increased benefits, but he does object to this inclusion in determining the amount of deductions applicable against his past earnings — an obviously slanted approach. In taking this position plaintiff fails to realize that under the Act defendant has express authority to make deductions from future payments of amounts earned and paid to a claimant in excess of the statutory maximum.
Defendant’s motion for summary judgment granted. Settle order within ten (10) days on two (2) days’ notice.
. Pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. § 405(g).
. 42 U.S.C.A. § 301 et seq.
. In accordance with 42 U.S.C.A. § 418.
. Pub.Laws 85-787, 72 Stat. 939 (August 27, 1958).
. The Bureau modified its prior determination by increasing plaintiffs benefits to $108.50, effective as of January 1, 1958, on October 28, 1958, and affirmed its ruling as to recoupment by letter dated January 26, 1959.
. 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 403(b), 404(a).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Samuel Ray KAPLAN v. Arthur S. FLEMMING, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
- Status
- Published