General Discussion

dbackjon

(6,578 posts) Fri Oct 10, 2014, 04:52 PM Oct 2014

SSA offices turning away same-sex couples in new marriage equality states

Get your shit together, Obama Administration.

NO EXCUSE for any type of delay. FIRE THESE PRICKS. More indignity heaped upon Same-Sex couples.

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/10/ssa-offices-turning-away-same-sex-couples-in-new-marriage-equality-states/

Married, same-sex couples are being turned away at Social Security offices in Utah, and presumably other states where marriage equality became legal this week, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision Monday that effectively overturned gay marriage bans in Utah and four other states.

According to a memorandum released publicly Friday, Social Security Administration officials claim more time is needed to streamline procedures for issuance of SSA Cards, eligibility and benefits, even though those procedures are already in place in 19 other states where same-sex marriage was legal prior to Monday.

The SSA has directed its field offices to “hold” all claims and appeals from married, same-sex couples in 10 states under the jurisdiction of the Fourth, Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals.

8 replies

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SSA offices turning away same-sex couples in new marriage equality states (Original Post) dbackjon Oct 2014 OP

What has to be streamlined, I wonder? arcane1 Oct 2014 #1

Got me. They have been able to do it in other states that SSM is allowed. dbackjon Oct 2014 #2

Training, maybe? ieoeja Oct 2014 #4

This makes no sense. SSA is Federal. ieoeja Oct 2014 #3

I was about to make the same point. Ms. Toad Oct 2014 #8

The only way the Feds will pay attention is if they are medical marijuana patients, or are a part of blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #5

Sad but true dbackjon Oct 2014 #6

More time is needed... TeeYiYi Oct 2014 #7

arcane1

(38,613 posts)

1. What has to be streamlined, I wonder?

Reply to dbackjon (Original post)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 04:54 PM

Oct 2014

Is the process different somehow, just because they are the same gender?

dbackjon

(6,578 posts)

2. Got me. They have been able to do it in other states that SSM is allowed.

Reply to arcane1 (Reply #1)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:00 PM

Oct 2014

ieoeja

(9,748 posts)

4. Training, maybe?

Reply to arcane1 (Reply #1)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:07 PM

Oct 2014

"If you say X, you will be fired. If you refuse Y, you will be fired."

Maybe they need to cross their Q's and dot their j's so they don't have an employee claiming later, "I was wrongfully fired because they didn't tell me I had to be nice to those people."

About all I can figure. What I can't figure is why they were not already doing this since the US Supreme Court already ruled that the Feds have to recognize these marriages.

ieoeja

(9,748 posts)

3. This makes no sense. SSA is Federal.

Reply to dbackjon (Original post)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:04 PM

Oct 2014

US Supreme Court already overruled the section of DOMA that did not recognize Same Gender marriages for Federal purposes. While the portion that regulates Full Faith & Credit by allowing States to ignore other state's Same Gender marriages, the Feds have to recognize those marriages regardless of where the couple resides.

So they should have been doing this already.

Ms. Toad

(34,073 posts)

8. I was about to make the same point.

Reply to ieoeja (Reply #3)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:52 PM

Oct 2014

The only analysis that needs to be done is whether the couple's marriage was valid where it was entered into - not where they reside. So unless there are no same gender couples living in any of those states who were married anywhere, they don't need any new procedures.

blkmusclmachine

(16,149 posts)

5. The only way the Feds will pay attention is if they are medical marijuana patients, or are a part of

Reply to dbackjon (Original post)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:41 PM

Oct 2014

Occupy Wall Street, or are part of insidious leftwing outfits like DemocraticUnderground or JoeMyGod.

dbackjon

(6,578 posts)

6. Sad but true

Reply to blkmusclmachine (Reply #5)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:43 PM

Oct 2014

TeeYiYi

(8,028 posts)

7. More time is needed...

Reply to dbackjon (Original post)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 05:50 PM

Oct 2014

...for what? Utah's governor mandated that all legal benefits of marriage were to begin immediately:

Gov. Gary Herbert said at a news conference that he sent a letter to his cabinet members ordering them to recognize all legally performed marriages, that gay couples can follow the same process as everyone else to get benefits.

"We are a nation of laws and we here in Utah, we’ll uphold the law," Herbert said.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58492286-78/utah-court-marriage-sex.html.csp

TYY

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