Rogers: Disability pay to be restored for 900 recipients

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers says a suspension of federal disability benefits for 900 recipients in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia is being lifted.

Rogers says he urged Social Security Administration officials on Wednesday to lift the suspension, saying the benefit payments were a matter of "life and death" for residents in the region. The Republican’s district includes much of eastern Kentucky.

The Social Security Administration has said it is in the process of redetermining benefits for 1,500 people represented by Kentucky attorney Eric C. Conn, who was under investigation for suspected fraud. Benefits were recently suspended for 900 of those people before Rogers intervened.

Rogers, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a conference call Thursday that the disability recipients were "innocent bystanders" to the alleged fraud conspiracy.

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