Hiring Freeze

An e-mail message to Social Security employees:

From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 11:57 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients
Subject: COMMISSIONER'S BROADCAST--07/02/10
A Message To All SSA And DDS Employees

Subject: FY 2011 Budget Update

I want to update you on the status of our fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget request. It is likely that Congress will not pass our FY 2011 budget by October 1, and we will begin FY 2011 operating under a continuing resolution (CR). The CR will severely limit our spending to a prorated share of our FY 2010 appropriation.

A CR is always disruptive, but will be particularly difficult in FY 2011. For the last two years, we have had an extra $500 million in Recovery Act funding available in addition to our regular annual appropriations. The combination of these two funding sources has allowed us to hire aggressively and work overtime to reduce our disability backlogs, handle increasing claims, and better serve the American public. Under a CR in FY 2011, we will have less funding than under recent CRs to support our higher staffing level because we are not permitted to include the Recovery Act funding as part of our previous year baseline.

Due to this anticipated drop in funding, we must begin preparing for a CR now. Effective immediately, all headquarters and regional office staff components will be in a full hiring freeze. Beginning on October 1 and continuing through the first quarter of FY 2011, our operational components, including the State Disability Determination Services, will only be allowed to replace staffing losses. We will not reduce overtime during the first quarter. However, to fund overtime and this minimal staffing replacement, we must defer any additional hiring and all other costs that are not critically essential to keeping our doors open.

The additional funding we’ve received in the past three years has allowed us to make great strides, and I am proud of our many accomplishments. For 18 straight months, we have reduced the hearings backlog by over 74,000 cases, despite increased applications. At the same time, we have eliminated nearly four months of waiting time for hundreds of thousands of Americans awaiting hearings. In addition, we have improved service across the agency. DDS accuracy and productivity remain high, despite the destructive and unnecessary furloughs and staffing restrictions imposed by some states. We have increased our CDRs and redeterminations, which have resulted in a significant increase in SSI payment accuracy. We have reduced our waiting times in field offices and on the 800 number. In fact, we are answering our 800 number calls faster than any time in nearly a decade. I know the American people appreciate your hard work and dedication.

While we must make steep cuts in our spending, I will do what I can to minimize the disruption to our positive momentum. This plan is a temporary measure that we cannot sustain beyond December; I am hopeful that the CR will end before we have to take more drastic measures. Our services are vital to the financial stability of millions of Americans, and you can be sure I will be doing everything possible to persuade Congress to approve the critical funding that the President has requested for us.

Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner