- Table View
- List View
Social Policy Dismantling and De-democratization in Brazil: Citizenship in Danger (Societies and Political Orders in Transition)
by Sonia FleuryThis book examines the emergence of authoritarian populist regimes, analyzing Brazil as a case study. The authors explain how the tactics employed by the Bolsonaro administration to dismantle bureaucracy and public policies, especially labour and social policies, find expression in the fiscal austerity measures recently inscribed in the Federal Constitution: a counter-democratic device employed by technical and financial elites to systemically derail the social protection system.Through this in-depth case study, the book presents new theoretical arguments and concepts that can be useful to understand the dynamics of such new regimes, and discussing similar cases in other contexts. Democratic governments in Brazil, driven by social movements and political actors, have strengthened social protection through a distinctive institutional architecture that combines the strengthening of public bureaucracies, the creation of intergovernmental networks, and the democratic instances of social participation and agreement. The contributions throughout this volume analyze these transformations in different sectors of public policy, such as labour, employment, pensions, food and nutrition security, health, and social assistance. Each contribution discusses the recent trajectory through a political analysis of the main actors and institutions, reform processes and policy changes, and the results achieved. Finally, the existing weaknesses in each of these social protection sectors are identified in the context of the literature on policy dismantling, revealing the strategies used to take advantage of these political and institutional weaknesses.This book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of political science and public policy, interested in a better understanding of de-democratization by social policy dismantling.
Social Policy in the Federal Republic of Germany: The Constitution of the Social
by Hans F. ZacherThis book investigates the history of the post-war welfare state in Germany and its normative foundations, with special emphasis on constitutional issues. The author, formerly Director of the Max-Planck-Institute for Foreign and International Social Law, Munich, and President of the Max-Planck-Society, argues that social policy - not only in Germany - is about struggles over the "social". The "social" is an open and changing concept that reflects the modern quest for equality, voiced in semantics like justice, participation, inclusion and security. The "social" and the "social state" (the German term for welfare state) are enshrined in the German Constitution of 1949, the Grundgesetz. The book sets out the phases of welfare state development in depth. Social policies are analyzed in view of wider contexts, especially the nation state, the rule of law (Rechtsstaat), federalism and democracy. The author emphasizes the dialectics between the national character of the welfare state and its manifold international references.
Social Practice Art in Turbulent Times: The Revolution Will Be Live (Routledge Research in Art and Politics)
by Eric J. Schruers Kristina OlsonThis volume is an anthology of current groundbreaking research on social practice art. Contributing scholars provide a variety of assessments of recent projects as well as earlier precedents, define approaches to art production, and provide crucial political context. The topics and art projects covered, many of which the authors have experienced firsthand, represent the work of innovative artists whose creative practice is utilized to engage audience members as active participants in effecting social and political change. Chapters are divided into four parts that cover history, specific examples, global perspectives, and critical analysis.
Social Procurement and New Public Governance (Routledge Critical Studies in Public Management)
by Josephine Barraket Robyn Keast Craig FurneauxIn recent years, the search for innovative, locally relevant and engaging public service has become the new philosophers’ stone. Social procurement represents one approach to maximising public spending and social value through the purchase of goods and services. It has gained increasing attention in recent years as a way that governments and corporations can amplify the benefits of their purchasing power, and as a mechanism by which markets for social enterprise and other third sector organisations can be grown. Despite growing policy and practitioner interest in social procurement, there has been relatively little conceptual or empirical thinking published on the issue. Taking a critically informed approach, this innovative text examines emerging approaches to social procurement within the context of New Public Governance (NPG), and examines the practices of social procurement across Europe, North America, and Australia. Considering both the possibilities and limitations of social procurement, and the types of value it can generate, it also provides empirically-driven insights into the practicalities of ‘triple bottom line’ procurement, the related challenges of measuring social value and the management of both the strategic and operational dimensions of procurement processes. As such it will be invaluable reading for all those interested in social services, public governance and social enterprise.
Social Protection Policies in South Asia
by Neera Chandhoke; Sanjay Kumar AgrawalThis book offers a comparative analysis of social protection policies in five countries of South Asia — India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh — where economic transformation impelled by globalisation and liberalisation has, on the one hand, caused an unprecedented expansion of the informal sector, and heightened the vulnerabilities of its workers on the other. It examines the multiple vulnerabilities of workers who continue to work and live in abysmal conditions, with persistent cutbacks in social security budgets by governments, and evaluates the implementation and efficacy of current policies.The volume introduces the problem through an overview of South Asian economies by charting out the contrasting parallels between growth paths and the extent of poverty among workers in the informal sector. Further, it assesses the projected cost of basic social protection in these economies in the context of different (possible) growth scenarios. The second part of the book discusses the experiences from various countries by highlighting work force composition, ratio of workers in the informal sector to total work force, challenges and concerns, available policies and programmes, and finally, the outreach of these programmes. The concluding section argues for the need for social protection in South Asia by exposing the limitations of existing policies, and proposes a future course of action in order that social protection may serve as a tool in the transformation of social policy.This will be useful to scholars, students and researchers of development studies, economics, politics and labour law. It would also interest those in voluntary sector organisations, nongovernmental organisations, policy makers, journalists and think tanks.
Social Psychology and Justice (Frontiers of Social Psychology)
by E. Allan LindThis ground-breaking new volume reviews and extends theory and research on the psychology of justice in social contexts, exploring the dynamics of fairness judgments and their consequences. Perceptions of fairness, and the factors that cause and are caused by fairness perceptions, have long been an important part of social psychology. Featuring work from leading scholars on psychological processes involved in reactions to fairness, as well as the applications of justice research to government institutions, policing, medical care and the development of radical and extremist behavior, the book expertly brings together two traditionally distinct branches of social psychology: social cognition and interpersonal relations. Examining how people judge whether the treatment they experience from others is fair and how this effects their attitudes and behaviors, this essential collection draws on theory and research from multiple disciplines as it explores the dynamics of fairness judgments and their consequences. Integrating theory on interpersonal relations and social cognition, and featuring innovative biological research, this is the ideal companion for senior undergraduates and graduates, as well as researchers and scholars interested in the social psychology of justice.
The Social Psychology of Morality (Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology)
by Joseph P. Forgas Lee Jussim Paul A.M. Van LangeEver since Plato’s ‘Republic’ was written over two thousand years ago, one of the main concerns of social philosophy and later empirical social science was to understand the moral nature of human beings. The faculty to think and act in terms of overarching moral values is as much a defining hallmark of our species as is our intelligence, so homo moralis is no less an appropriate term to describe humans as homo sapiens. This volume makes a case for the pivotal role of social psychology as the core discipline for studying morality. The book is divided into four parts. First, the role of social psychological processes in moral values and judgments is discussed, followed by an analysis of the role of morality in interpersonal processes. The sometimes paradoxical, ironic effects of moral beliefs are described next, and in the final section the role of morality in collective and group behavior is considered. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences concerned with moral behavior, as well as professionals and practitioners in clinical, counseling, organizational, marketing and educational psychology where issues of ethics and morality are of importance.
The Social Reality of Ethics
by John H. BarnsleyOriginally published in 1972, this book clarifies ‘ethical’ concepts such as ‘values’, ‘norms’ and ‘precepts’. It begins with a discussion of the conceptual problems faced by any inquiry into moral codes. The author looks in particular at the numerous ways of specifying the ‘moral’ component in human affairs and at the need for a definition appropriate to the requirements of social research. He then examines these questions from amore empirical viewpoint, and emphasis is put on the interplay between concepts and methods in social research. The important issues of ethical relativism and its relation to sociological inquiry is also raised. In this way, some of the possible ethical implications of sociology itself, both as an empirical discipline and as an organizing perspective, are critically examined.
Social Rehabilitation and Criminal Justice (Routledge Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Procedure)
by Federica Coppola Adriano MartufiThis book provides a comprehensive analysis of the current directions in social rehabilitation scholarship and research by bringing together the voices of legal scholars, criminal justice professionals, social scientists, and people directly impacted by criminal justice, in a comparative, international and interdisciplinary fashion. The volume offers a narrative of social rehabilitation in penal contexts through five main domains: theoretical-philosophical; legal-comparative; human rights; social scientific; lived experience; and policy. Collectively, the contributions provide a systematized examination of the normative facets of social rehabilitation, and illustrate avenues for its implementation in criminal justice domains in the full respect of the rights of justice-involved individuals, casting a critical gaze on some the mainstream narratives dominating contemporary penal policy. The overarching legal approach is complemented by a selection of perspectives in social rehabilitation research emanating from social psychology, critical criminology, penology, and neuroscience. These perspectives inform and enrich the legal and jurisprudential debates on the qualification of social rehabilitation as a fundamental goal of justice across domestic and international legal systems. The book will be of value to academics, practitioners, advocates, and policy makers interested in current research dealing with the problem of punishment and the potential of social rehabilitation to more effectively deal with crime.
Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance: Volume 1: Preconditions for Integration (Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility)
by Matjaž Mulej Grażyna O’Sullivan Tjaša ŠtrukeljThis book illustrates how CSR can be used as a tool to improve corporate governance in organizations and improve the relationship between business and society. Connecting corporate social responsibility (CSR) with corporate governance (CG) is a 21st century challenge, and the book argues that CSR and CG should be addressed together in synergy in the management literature. Linking these two crucial business functions, it describes the preconditions for successful integration and the tools for practical implementation. Volume 1 covers corporate governance from the perspective of CSR, where responsible and sustainable business is a common goal and the tasks are to create core values, business policy and organizational strategies.
Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance: Volume 2: Policy and Practice (Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility)
by Matjaž Mulej Grażyna O’Sullivan Tjaša ŠtrukeljConnecting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with Corporate Governance (CG) is a 21st Century challenge. This edited volume illustrates that CSR can be used as a tool to improve Corporate Governance in organizations and improve the relationship between business and society. Moreover the book argues that they should be treated together in synergy in management literature. This two volume work connects these two crucial business functions, describing the preconditions for successful integration and the tools for practical implementation. Volume 2 puts forward eight recommendations for practice. Contributors put forward research and implications for policy and practice including coverage of knowledge management strategy, socially responsible banking operations and transparency procedures in the context of emerging economies.
Social Responsibility Education Across Europe
by Samuel O. Idowu Ceren Altuntaş Vural Duygu TurkerThis book provides a comprehensive and multi-facettedanalysis of the current state of social-responsibility education in various Europeancountries. It explores the different approaches toward CSR education acrossEurope by identifying each country's current practices and university courses,and by revealing the effect of these methods on future generations of leaders. Usinga quantitative research methodology, the book presents comparisons of thecurrent nature and implications of CSR education in a sample of 10 businessschools from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands,Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship and the Common Good
by Carole Bonanni François Lépineux Julia RoloffAn exploration of the interplay between social responsibility, entrepreneurship and the common good which is organized into four sections: business and the common good; educating responsible entrepreneurs; corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenges and the common good; and CSR and entrepreneurship in emerging economies
SOCIAL RIGHTS IN EUROPE IN AN AGE OF AUSTERITY (Critical Studies in Jurisprudence)
by Simon Halliday Stefano Civitarese MatteucciThis collection of essays examines the promise and limits of social rights in Europe in a time of austerity. Presenting in the first instance five national case studies, representing the biggest European economies (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), it offers an account of recent reforms to social welfare and the attempts to resist them through litigation. The case studies are then used as a foundation for theory-building about social rights. This second group of chapters develops theory along two complementary lines: first, they explore the dynamics between social rights, public law, poverty and welfare in times of economic crisis; second, they consider the particular significance of the European context for articulations of, and struggles over, social rights. Employing a range and depth of expertise across Europe, the book constitutes a timely and highly significant contribution to socio-legal scholarship about the character and resilience of social rights in our national and regional constitutional settings.
Social Rights in the Welfare State: Origins and Transformations
by Toomas Kotkas Kenneth VeitchAt a time when the future of the welfare state is the object of heated debate in many European countries, this edited collection explores the relationship between this institution and social rights. Structured around the themes of the politics of social rights, questions of equality and social exclusion/inclusion, and the increasing impact of market imperatives on social policy, the book explores the effect of transformations in the welfare state upon social rights and their underlying rationalities and logics. Written by a group of international scholars, many of the essays discuss a number of urgent and topical issues within social policy, including: the social rights of asylum seekers; the increasing marketization and consumerization of public welfare services; the care of the elderly; and the obligation to work as a condition of access to welfare benefits. International in its scope, and interdisciplinary in its approach, this collection of essays will appeal to scholars and students working in the fields of law and socio-legal studies, sociology, social policy, and politics. It will also be of interest to policy makers and all those engaged in the debate over the future of the welfare state and social rights.
Social Science Research Ethics for a Globalizing World: Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Perspectives (Routledge Advances in Research Methods #16)
by Kerri Whittenbury Margaret Alston Keerty NakrayResearch in the humanities and social sciences thrives on critical reflections that unfold with each research project, not only in terms of knowledge created, but in whether chosen methodologies served their purpose. Ethics forms the bulwark of any social science research methodology and it requires continuous engagement and reengagement for the greater advancement of knowledge. Each chapter in this book will draw from the empirical knowledge created through intensive fieldwork and provide an account of ethical questions faced by the contributors, placing them in the context of contemporary debates surrounding the theory and practice of ethics. The chapters have been thematically organized into five sections: Feminist Ethics: Cross-Cultural Reflections and Its Implications for Change; Researching Physical and Sexual Violence in Non-Academic Settings: A Need for Ethical Protocols; Human Agency, Reciprocity, Participation and Activism: Meanings for Social Science Research Ethics; Emotions, Conflict and Dangerous Fields: Issues of “Safety” and Reflective Research; and Social Science Education: Training in Ethics or “Ethical Training” and “Ethical Publicizing." This inter-disciplinary volume will interest students and researchers in academic and non-academic settings in core disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Political Science, International Relations, Geography, or inter-disciplinary degrees in Development Studies, Health Studies, Public Health Policy, Social Policy, Health Policy, Psychology, Peace and Conflict studies, and Gender Studies. The book features a foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Social Science Research Ethics in Africa (Research Ethics Forum #7)
by Nico Nortjé Retha Visagie J. S. WesselsThis book gives a voice to debates surrounding social science research ethics in Africa and brings them together in a coherent form to assist readers in being at the forefront of the discussions. The book gives an overview of the importance of research ethics in social sciences, as well as articulating the African influence on the subject matter. Subsequently it looks into specific frameworks and tools that researchers can apply in the process of doing research. Last but not least it also takes an in-depth look at traditional ethical issues pertaining to research in social sciences, through the lens of the African continent. This is the first book on social science research ethics in an African context and an indispensable resource for researchers, students, policy makers and research institutions in or interested in African research ethics.
Social Security Disability Advocate’s Handbook
by David TraverSocial Security Disability Advocate's Handbook is a sophisticated guide filled with pattern questions and supporting data that will help you (1) knowledgeably and effectively challenge vocational testimony, and (2) use the Process Unification Rulings as powerful weapons for your claimants. David Traver's sophisticated guide also serves as a valuable source for when you need to educate the ALJ about the limits placed by Social Security Rulings. Social Security Disability Advocate's Handbook shows you how to turn the Rulings into powerful weapons for your claimants: * Remind ALJs what the Rulings require with 93 "commands" to agency adjudicators excerpted from the Rulings. * Rebut common but invalid reasons ALJs use to reject claimant's allegations. * Prevent the ALJ from rejecting a medical source statement based on the ALJ's finding that the medical source was not aware of all the medical and other evidence in the file. * And more!
Social Security Disability Law and the American Labor Market
by Jon C. DubinHow social security disability law is out of touch with the contemporary American labor market Passing down nearly a million decisions each year, more judges handle disability cases for the Social Security Administration than federal civil and criminal cases combined. In Social Security Disability Law and the American Labor Market, Jon C. Dubin challenges the contemporary policies for determining disability benefits and work assessment. He posits the fundamental questions: where are the jobs for persons with significant medical and vocational challenges? And how does the administration misfire in its standards and processes for answering that question? Deploying his profound understanding of the Social Security Administration and Disability law and policy, he demystifies the system, showing us its complex inner mechanisms and flaws, its history and evolution, and how changes in the labor market have rendered some agency processes obsolete. Dubin lays out how those who advocate eviscerating program coverage and needed life support benefits in the guise of modernizing these procedures would reduce the capacity for the Social Security Administration to function properly and serve its intended beneficiaries, and argues that the disability system should instead be “mended, not ended.”Dubin argues that while it may seem counterintuitive, the transformation from an industrial economy to a twenty-first-century service economy in the information age, with increased automation, and resulting diminished demand for arduous physical labor, has not meaningfully reduced the relevance of, or need for, the disability benefits programs. Indeed, they have created new and different obstacles to work adjustments based on the need for other skills and capacities in the new economy—especially for the significant portion of persons with cognitive, psychiatric, neuro-psychological, or other mental impairments. Therefore, while the disability program is in dire need of empirically supported updating and measures to remedy identified deficiencies, obsolescence, inconsistencies in application, and racial, economic and other inequities, the program’s framework is sufficiently broad and enduring to remain relevant and faithful to the Act’s congressional beneficent purposes and aspirations.
Social Security Disability Medical Tests
by David Morton IIIEvaluate Social Security Medical Disability Test Results Effective advocacy requires informed and critical evaluation of your clients' medical tests and their results. Were they properly performed? By the right person? Interpreted correctly? What is the chance of a false negative result? Here you will find normal test ranges, predictive values, relevant listings, proper technique, and more for 470 medical tests. You will be able to critically examine the application of test results to disability claims. Here is the authoritative and detailed guidance from a former SSA Chief Medical Consultant who has personally made more than 50,000 disability determinations. Dr. David Morton's Social Security Disability Medical Tests answers the following questions for nearly every test you will encounter: * When is the test warranted? * Can SSA purchase it? Does it commonly do so? * What are the relevant social security medical listings? * What complications can result? * How should the test be performed? * Is the test objective, providing independently verifiable information based upon observation? Or is it subjective, depending upon the information elicited by the testing physician? * What is the probability that the test will not detect the abnormality? * What is the prevalence of the abnormality in the population? * What is the normal range of test results? The book is written in plain English and details more than 500 medical tests frequently encountered in SSA disability determinations. Real-life examples and explanatory drawings accompany many texts. Medical terms are explained as they occur in the text. Over 700 medical abbreviations are defined. Also provided are more than 80 normal laboratory test values and eight different treadmill stress test protocols.
Social Security Disability Practice
by Thomas BushDetailed guidance is important when navigating the hidden rules, obscure interpretations, and frequent delays common to Social Security disability cases. Turn to Tom Bush's Social Security Disability Practice when challenges or questions arise. This 1000-page masterwork covers the waterfront of social security disability practice: Selecting good cases. Sections 160-62 Determining the basis for denial, and common erroneous reasons for denial. Sections 173, 207 Comparison of Social Security disability and SSI. Section 135 Obtaining and dealing with medical and vocational opinion evidence. Section 220 Impairment-specific RFC questionnaires. Section 230 Issues commonly arising in hearings. Section 287 Preparing claimants and witnesses to testify, including questionnaires and letters. Section 290 Specific and detailed hearing questions for claimants, witnesses, and experts. Chapter 3 Proving inability to do unskilled sedentary work, including cross-examination questions. Section 346.6 Using the Medical-Vocational Guidelines as framework for decision-making, with charts, questions for the vocational expert, and court decisions. Section 348 Res judicata and reopening applications. Section 370 Index of key rulings. Appendix 1 Calculating back benefits, with worksheet. Section 430 Payment issues and solutions, with directory of contact information. Section 440 Developing a legal theory for appeal, with checklist and sample briefs. Chapter 5 Attorney fee issues and solutions. Chapter 7 And much, much more. Considered by many to be the most practical work in the field, Social Security Disability Practice is chock-full of practice-proven forms. Developed by author Tom Bush for his own office, these forms will save you hours and improve your advocacy. Just a few of the tips found in the helpful charts, appendices and forms. Minimize the frustrations in dealing with the SSA, the author, a veteran disability representative, clarifies issues such as: developing the theory of the case, establishing and proving pain, dealing with vocational and medical experts and using the fee agreement process. Useful forms, questionnaires, and checklists help you streamline cases. The two volume book now includes access to Jamesforms.com, containing more than 120 forms and the full-text of the book.
Social Security for Everyone: 2021-2022 Edition
by Carl W. BattleAll the essential information everyone should know about social security, from maximizing benefits to planning and budgeting for a healthy, happy retirement. Nearly 70 million American citizens—1 in 5 people in the US—receive social security benefits each month, and that number is increasing rapidly. With so many people drawing from the system, it's critical for anyone about to start receiving benefits to be well-informed and prepared, and for anyone already receiving social security to make sure they're aware of how to maximize their benefits and to plan ahead for the future. In Social Security for Everyone, lawyer and bestselling author Carl W. Battle's clear, matter-of-fact explanations will prepare any reader to deal with and understand every aspect of social security benefits. Important topics covered include:How to apply for social securityWhy many people never receive social security benefitsHow to maintain independence while receiving social security benefitsBreakdowns of social security benefits for families, survivors, and the disabledTaxes and social security and how they interactHow to manage and deal with the Social Security AdministrationSocial Security for Everyone also includes dozens of crucial charts, graphs, and tables to help readers plan for retirement, budget for different situations, and maximize their benefits. It's essential reading for anyone preparing to use social security benefits and everyone who is already receiving social security, as well as anyone who wants to know more about this invaluable system.
Social Security Issues Annotated
by Sarah Bohr Kimberly Cheiken Curtis FisherBohr's Social Security Issues Annotated With Bohr's Social Security Issues Annotated, author Sarah Bohr has assembled the arguments and cases she uses to construct winning briefs for social security disability practitioners around the nation. This valuable drafting tool, which is supported by over 3,600 citations, contains: * A checklist of errors commonly occurring in the sequential evaluation process, assessment of disability, evaluating specific impairments, and administrative review. * A summary of cases decided in the last eight years, organized by circuit. * This section includes a valuable table of cases organized by issue. * An exhaustive outline of the law, organized first by issue and then by circuit, and drafted in argument format. * Detailed dissection of 48 common issues. This section contains summaries of the applicable statutes, regulations, rulings, POMS, cases, and practice pointers. Now you can efficiently produce the same persuasive and well-supported arguments that Ms. Bohr has used to win cases for disability lawyers around the country.
Social Security Law in Small Jurisdictions (The World of Small States #8)
by Danny PietersThe book examines whether small jurisdictions (states) are confronted with specific issues providing social security and how to deal with these issues. How is social security law impacted by the smallness of the jurisdiction? First, the author examines the key concepts ‘small jurisdiction’ and ‘social security’ as he understands them in the present research. He then pays some attention to the relation between social security and social security law and subsequently makes an excursion to explore the notion of legal transplants. In the second part, the author first examines the main features characterizing small states according to the general literature on small states, focusing on features which may be relevant to social security. He also includes an overview of the (limited) literature dealing with the specific social security issues small jurisdictions have to deal with. In other words, the second part provides the reader with the status quaestionis. In the third part, the author takes a look at the social security systems of 20 selected small jurisdictions. He does so according to a uniform scheme, in order to facilitate their comparison. These 20 case studies allow him in a next part to test the correctness of the statements made in Part 2. In the fourth part, he compares the social security systems of the 20 small jurisdictions. He draws conclusions as to the main question, but also to test the validity of the current literature on the topic as described in Part 2. Special attention goes to the use of legal transplants for the definition of the personal scope of social security arrangements. In the concluding part of the book, the author formulates some suggestions for the benefit of the social security systems of the small jurisdictions, based on his research.
Social Security, Medicare and Government Pensions
by Joseph Matthews AttorneyIf you want to get the highest possible retirement or pension income - not to mention the best medical coverage, turn to Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions to discover the benefits you're entitled to and how to claim them as easily as possible. Navigate the complex and often daunting Social Security and Medicare systems using the resources and information in this complete guide. Learn about Medicare coverage, including Part D prescription drug coverage, and understand medigap insurance and Medicare managed care and what makes the most sense for you. And if you are denied for any medical treatment or benefits, this book teaches you how to file an appeal with Medicare, Social Security, or your state's Medicaid agency. Also learn how to claim disability benefits, veterans benefits, and federal retirement benefits. This edition updates benefit numbers for Social Security, Medicare, and SSI for 2015.