Cummins

Cummins v. Social Security Administration

Good Law
280 F. App'x 634
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitMay 28, 2008No. 06-17281California284 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Yvonne Cummins appeals pro se from the district court’s summary judgment upholding the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Commissioner’s calculation of her monthly benefits. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review the district court’s order de novo. Flaten v. Sec’y of Health & Human Servs., 44 F.3d 1453, 1457 (9th Cir.1995). The Commissioner’s decision will be set aside only if it is not supported by substantial evidence or if it is based on legal error. Id. We affirm.

The district court properly deferred to the agency’s interpretation of 42 U.S.C. § 415 (f). See Foothill Presbyterian Hosp. *636 v. Shalala, 152 F.3d 1132 , 1134 (9th Cir.1998) (explaining that the court “will defer to the agency’s interpretations unless an alternative reading is compelled by the plain language of the regulation or by other indications of the agency’s intent at the time it promulgated the regulation”).

Contrary to Cummins’s contentions, the SSA had authority to recalculate her primary insurance amount when she converted from disability to retirement benefits and when her eligibility date changed. See 42 U.S.C. § 415 (a)(2) (providing for recalculation of…

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