Below is the monthly Caseload Analysis Report for Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) for the month ending February 22, 2019. It was obtained by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) and published in their newsletter, which is not available online to non-members. Click on the image to view full size.
Note in the far right hand column the number of receipts daily per available ALJ for the first six months of fiscal year 2019 -- 1.50. Note a bit further down in that column the ALJ dispositions daily per available ALJ -- 2.22. That means that each month OHO is processing about one and one-half months work. You can actually see that number further down the column as the DISP/REC Ratio -- 1.49. We started out with horribly high backlogs and we still have an unacceptably high backlog but while it's taking time the backlog is coming down rapidly.
By the way, note the amount of overtime hours at OHO. Something tells me that number is going to go down as the backlog goes down. The field offices, teleservice centers and payment centers need help but giving them OHO's overtime won't be much more than a drop in the bucket of their needs.
8 comments:
I'm glad to see that the hard work in reducing the backlog is being recognized instead of the plethora of articles about delays.
In my office, claimants are getting hearings just over a year from the their request for hearing. Decisions usually go out within 60-90 days and we welcome OTRs for those cases that need immediate consideration.
Does anyone notice what may be a large scale movement to do away with local hearing offices and centralize the hearing process in hearing centers. Staff appears to have been depleted nationwide in the hearing offices yet staff is being hired in the hearing centers. An advertisement to put judges in the hearing centers came out about a month ago and there is the proposed video opt out regulation ... judges do not appear to be being replaced in hearing offices consistent with the number of judges that are being lost in hearing offices . Is current leadership attempting to devise a plan to model OHO after Medicare? NOSSCR may want to ask some questions...
12:13 - I think you hit the nail on the head. The fiscal year 2020 budget justification calls for more hiring in the NHCs, but really nothing about hiring elsewhere. It's quite possible the plan is to shrink or close some offices with low receipts and expand video hearings with non-unionized ALJs in the NHCs.
It's no secret that the agency is planning to centralize services and OHO will follow the NHC model.
The agency views this as more efficient service to the public. An NHC ALJ can hear cases in most venues as long as time zones are compatable with staffing.
Field Offices will follow this model as well as internet and other online services such as click to chat replace having to drive, park, stand inline and wait
Cutting out the local connection makes things like Conn much harder to do. Good idea.
Relying solely on NHC ALJs will just lead to more denials. It's much easier to deny someone when you're looking into a TV screen several states away instead of looking someone in the eye across a table. A local ALJ lives in the community where the claimants live and has more empathy and understanding for their plights. Plus, as experienced and respected attorneys, my office has developed relationships with the local ALJs. We will sometimes chat with the ALJs before or after hearings to hash out amended onset dates or closed periods. I'm certain that sometimes our clients are given the benefit of the doubts because or our relationships. We know what particular ALJs are looking for and how to present cases in front of them. Nothing illegal or unethical, just getting to know the ALJs leads to better advocacy for our clients. This will all be gone with all video hearings from the NHC.
And 10:44 proves why locals are a bad idea.
"I'm certain that sometimes our clients are given the benefit of the doubts because or our relationships."
Agreed anon 10:44. ALJs I presume are not robots (although some day they might be). If I have a client who hobbles, uses a cane, walker or wheelchair, I want the ALJ to see and feel this in the hearing room. For psych cases? I don't really care.
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