From Reuters:
The Social Security Administration has announced plans to begin reopening its vast national network of field offices to the public in January following a 20-month COVID-19 shutdown. The reopening will give the agency a needed opportunity to improve public service, but also presents some thorny challenges. ...
Processing of Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare claims has not been impaired during the office shutdown, agency records show. But there was a sharp drop in 2020 in benefit awards for SSI (down 18%) and disability insurance (down 10%).
“The most serious problems are related to the drop in awards for the most vulnerable people,” said David Weaver, a former associate commissioner in Social Security’s Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support. “It’s people who might have less ability to get information off the internet, or easy access to information on how to contact the agency. And people seeking SSI and disability may have serious mental impairments or be homeless.”
Had benefit awards continued at pre-pandemic levels for SSI and SSDI, 5.5 million more people would be receiving benefits for these two programs, according to Weaver’s calculation. (https://bit.ly/3CcX49v) ...
“We are concerned that the plan is vague and full of gaps,” said Rich Couture, president of the AFGE council representing hearings and appeals office personnel and spokesman for a committee made up of six AFGE bargaining councils. “It doesn’t specify what the plan will be for occupancy rates, or how we’ll make sure that waiting rooms don’t get overwhelmed.” ...
Social Security notes that it is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and government-wide guidelines for occupancy and physical distancing. “Our offices will use signage, seating arrangements, floor markings and Plexiglass barriers to assist with distancing and occupancy requirements,” Hinkle said. The agency also is monitoring the Nov. 22 deadline for all federal workers to be vaccinated, and is collecting vaccination information from workers. ...
19 comments:
It may be due in part to office closures but the unemployment benefits paid to people who have worked but also to many that haven't worked in eons, with the federal boost of $600 and then $300 a week is a very large reason for less filings/awards. There has been a large uptick (about 40% in the office I work at) in online disability cases in my office since early September and a good number of those were on unemployment that has run out. I don't know what one had to say to get unemployment when one hadn't worked in a long time but apparently the word was spread quickly through the community.
Also, let's not forget that fewer hearings result in fewer awards. Many reps declined phone and video hearings, only recently starting to agree. In addition, many non-represented claimants and even some represented claimants seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth and onto our never ending carousel of pending. This also resulted in less awards. I am not saying that the Agency could not have done better but there are many variables contributing to the lower award rate.
The only "plan" I've seen is the leaked pre-decisional document presumably intended as a starting point for the bargaining that has not yet begun. If that is the plan we're talking about, of course it is "vague and full of gaps." If a purportedly final plan is out there, please point the way. (I am not holding my breath on a return in early January.)
Telework for all ends Jan 2nd. After that, it varies by component.
The plan may not be set in stone but the return to work in offices is.
The answer? Meta. Virtual Reality visits are on their way. *rolls eyes*.
I’ve heard the plan requires quarantining of entire offices if someone tests positive regardless of vaccination status. That’s will be disastrous if true.
@2:40. the return to work is not set in stone yet, other than there is a target date out there. The return to work will happen 30 days after the Union signs off on the plan. There hasnt even been a date set for negotiations, so the January 3 date is unlikely.
There are gaps in the "leaked" plan because there has to be room for negotiation. The field office will get at least 2 days a week telework. I am guessing 3 days when all is said and done. But if not, 2 days is still something.
Prepared for the agency to backtrack now that another massive wave has begun. They aren't going to open the offices back up in January if new weekly case counts are 1,000,000+. That would be a recipe for disaster. Hopefully the agency has learned it's lesson and doesn't make any further announcements about reopening until employees get their 30 day notices.
The agency should wait until winter is over. Going back to full waiting rooms will be a terrible mistake and result in immediate closings of the offices.
Yes there should be no reopening at the start of winter that is the worst time to reopen, just when the worst of the flu and COVID19 season is beginning..
I hope and pray the acting commissioner (who seems much more compassionate towards employees than Saul was) will not rush into reopening SSA offices. After almost two years of working at home, which is becoming more and more efficient, we can wait a little longer.
You might be able to wait a little longer, but can the Claimants you are supposed to serve?
3:12 I am serving the claimants well, by working from from home. I'm more productive at home than in the office. So I have no remorse whatsoever about that.
3:12 pm the job is getting done as best as possible.. The main issue is terrible understaffing at the field offices.
Precisely, and it is only going to get worse when between 3000 and 6000 employees are fired in January for failing to comply to the vaccine mandate. Reopening the offices is not the panacea you complainers think it is.
WFH is not the answer you think it is for the Claimants.
What precisely can a claimant not do over the phone or computer, but can do in the field office???
755 what is it that you don't understand that some people do not have access or know how to use computers. Secondly a lot of people, especially some of the populations we serve do not have access to a basic phone. never mind a smart phone. Our programs are complex for the average Joe and trying to manage them online is beyond a lot of people, especially in some of the populations we serve. The Agency has CSRs for a reason, to provide help with our programs. Many things can and are done over the phone or on line. Please try to have some compassion for the claimants, especially those who are not as sophisticated as you. Or go get another job.
Provide documents, explain to an uninterested CR what the problem is, see the look in their eyes when they are not comprehending what is being explained.
Do you want to do all your business with all the companies you deal with on every important aspect of your life, like your income and health insurance for the rest of your life online and by phone?
Ever have to "go to an office" to get something done?
@755 I have yet to meet a claimant that doesn't have some kind of phone, even homeless ones. Several years ago homeless had basic smart phones when I was still using a flip phone.
@814 Offices are open for appointment to submit documents now.
Re doing everything by phone--yep, that's pretty much how it works if you apply for say FERS retirement, FEHB, etc which are similar to filing for SSA. The office you'd need to go to do these things, if one could go in, could be over 1000 miles away. So yes, one can do all of these important things without going into an office.
Attorneys help claimants to file and receive benefits and in 20+ years of working in a field office, I have never seen an attorney in an office.
"Ever go to an office to get things done?" Yes, like 25 years ago but not since.
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