We're now in a federal government shutdown. Here's Social Security's shutdown plan. Click on each thumbnail to view full size.
The two things I notice is that this time almost all of the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) will stay open but that almost all of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) will shut down. Last time both mostly shut down but were eventually called back in.
The two things I notice is that this time almost all of the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) will stay open but that almost all of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) will shut down. Last time both mostly shut down but were eventually called back in.
I'm mostly glad to see OHO stay open. However, there's a part of me that says that ameliorating the effects of a shutdown like this makes the shutdown longer. If virtually the entire federal establishment were actually shut down, the shutdowns would be rare and brief.
The OGC shutdown is more of a problem than you might think. Social Security is subject to deadlines in federal court litigation. OGC has enough of a problem meeting these deadlines in the best of times. Federal judges are not as sympathetic to the agency's shutdown problem as you might think. The judges, their staffs and the clerks offices always keep working during these shutdowns. They can't see why OGC would shut down.
ReplyDeleteWhy do end of line quality reviews get stopped at the DDS? Anyone know?
so a "shutdown" means about 15% of SSA will be furloughed. As noted in a comment to a post below, this doesn't really seem to be a "shutdown," more like an inconvenience.
ReplyDeleteNo biggy! You obviously aren't going to go without pay on furlough. Your inconvenience an be somebody else's disaster. I have lost more clients by death waiting for help since Paul Ryan and the gang took over than I had in my entire previous twenty years in practice. In 2008 to 2010 period my local ODAR was getting hearings up in six to ten months. This is all SSA needs right now. If you can't see that you are terribly misinformed.
ReplyDeleteComing Monday I will be asking every single customer in our FO whether they've contacted their Congressman. If their answer is no, they have zero standing to complain.
ReplyDeleteYou voted Republican, you own it.
IF the government were to stop all benefit checks until the shutdown was over, it would not last a day. Those checks will go on but those that work to keep those checks coming will not be paid until the shutdown is over. If a short time, no one will notice. If like last time, paychecks will be late, bills not paid timely, etc.
ReplyDelete10:20 PM. Chuck Schumer is leading the Democrat opposition to raising the debt ceiling. I hope you are more competent at your job. By the way, I don't vote for anyone who is pro-abortion. I don't want to answer to God for such a vote. I just wish more people in SSA would realize they will have to answer to God for all those disabled that they cheated!
ReplyDeleteCome on! Really? Nick Mulvaney, the right wing republican hatchet man told Hannity that "it is kind of cool to be in charge of shutting down the government." This republican party despises government, the poor, and the disabled. When the wealthy ones have a "family problem" they ship their children off to expensive, exclusive places for "treatment." They only use pro life to their political benefit. The wealthy have payed for secret abortions for generations while they let poor women die from them in alley ways. If you are disabled or want to help the disabled and you voted for Trump or the Pence/Ryan bunch you are supporting the people that want to dismantle social security. The typical SSA worker is just trying to do their job under the terrible conditions the republican congress has put on them. They have also been basically intimidated into denying more claims by these same politicians. You need to place emphasis on people who have already been born and are trying to survive through all of this. It is a sin to deny poor and disabled people healthcare. It is a sin to let mentally ill people die on cold streets. It is a sin to put money and corporate welfare over our citizenry and humanity. It is also ironic that the Pro-life politicians are also usually pro death penalty and pro incarceration. In fact they are leaving us with a school to juvy to private prison pipeline for poor kids in this country. If you are pro life you should also probably demand the government get out of the killing business when it applies to the death penalty. Trump and company are playing you for a fool.
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