by As the economy bottoms out and citizens continue to feel the stress of low incomes, unemployment and mortgage closings, some are taking it out on Administrative law judges and other staff at the Department of Social Security. There has been an 18% rise in the number of threats since last year to kill or otherwise hurt people there, coming to about 80 threats this year. Judges that hear the claims in disability cases are being threatened by those who have either been denied benefits or are experiencing frustration at the long delays in receiving benefits.One claimant in Albuquerque, N.M., called his congressman’s office to say he was going to “take his guns and shoot employees” in the Social Security hearing office. In Eugene, Ore., a man who was denied benefits said he is “ready to join the Taliban and hurt some people.” Another claimant denied benefits told a judge in Greenville, S.C., that he was a sniper in the military and “would go take care of the problem.””I’m not sure the number is as significant as the kind of threats being made,” said Randall Frye, a judge based in Charlotte, N.C., and the president of the judges’ union. “There seem to be more threats of serious bodily harm, not only to the judge but to the judge’s family.”
