I have heard an unconfirmed report that Social Security's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) has ordered a halt to hearings at temporary remote locations. As an example, an ODAR office might have an area located 100 miles away but the area does not have enough population that Social Security has established a permanent video site. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) goes to the area in person once every two or three months to hold hearings. Apparently, because of budget problems, this is being suspended.
If the report I have heard is accurate, this is bad news for Social Security disability claimants who live in remote areas. They are going to have to travel long distances to their hearings. I suspect that a lot of the people living in sparsely populated areas have Republicans representing them in Congress.
If the report I have heard is accurate, this is bad news for Social Security disability claimants who live in remote areas. They are going to have to travel long distances to their hearings. I suspect that a lot of the people living in sparsely populated areas have Republicans representing them in Congress.
5 comments:
What you have heard is accurate.
I am sorry to hear that we have to do this. But what do people expect will happen? When our funds are cut, adjustments have to be made to adapt. I would imagine that more things will be done that will hurt our public if this ridiculous situation with Congress continues much longer.
In the future, if budget stalemates continue as in the past, rural America will not have SSA offices. The costs are just too great to continue to maintain small offices—under 15 people. SSA leases most of its space and its real estate costs are now almost equivalent to its wage and benefit costs. I retired as the manager of a 14 person office in a community of 50,000 with a stagnant economy. The lease cost SSA nearly $100,000 annually. Add to that the annual $75,000--$100,000 cost of guard service, the costs for phones, mail costs and etc. and you start talking real money. Multiply that by SSA’s 1,4000 field offices and you get a minimal estimate of the staggering real estate costs SSA faces.
Of course even the most rabid “fiscal conservative” will soil himself/herself when SSA proposes closing a small office.
Hear, hear, JMS. As a former manager of such an office, I was appalled at how much it cost to maintain the place. I've been calling for closing or consolidating small offices and RSs for a long time. The cost savings would be enormous.
Closing remote temporary hearing sites will not be as devastating as some believe, because ODAR is working to get video set-ups in field offices so hearings via video teleconference can be held there.
Post a Comment