The Social Security Administration is today publishing in the Federal Register the increase in the fee cap under the fee agreement process from $6,000 to $7,200 effective November 30.
Great! That should just about cover the cost of living increase that occured between January and June of this year. I guess cost of living increases that occured over the past 10 years before that don't need to be accounted for, according to SSA logic. Is there a change in how much an ALJ can approve at the local level for fee petitions?
@3:25 if you don’t like the margins, do something else. I for one would ecstatic if the agency would get out direct pay business. With staffing at record lows, the reality of the situation dictates that we make drastic moves that save time and money. I realize the agency in many aspects is to blame for arriving at the situation but the representative business is littered with folks looking to make a quick buck(save for a few). So let’s try something new. I promise you things would flow quicker as SSA would not be burdened with playing the fax, email, call game which inundates us daily . Clearly NOSSCR has pull but we all hope that pull is waning …
@3:25 here. I'm actually more interested in how much a local ALJ is allowed to approve on a fee petition. No one knows if the $10,000 cap on locally approved fee petitions will be increasing also, and by how much?
To my knowledge, line ALJs have not been informed of any increased in authority above or beyond the current limits for fee petitions. Of course, the agency doesn’t always share things with the ALJs…
What does this mean, practically speaking? Will you have current clients sign a new agreement dated on or after November 30 specifically delineating the new fee cap? Many few agreements already contain language that says $6000 “or an amount greater than that if Social Security increases the limit…”
Will you be “holding” claims ready for hearing to schedule them so that they occur on or after December 1st? Do you expect that the new fee agreement amount will be applied only to cases where hearings were held after November 30th? Do you expect the ALJ to apply the new fee cap to cases heard November 30 if the decision isn’t issued until after December 1? To cases where hearings were held on or after December 1? To decisions issued prior to November 30th but not acted upon by the payment center until after that date?
Great! That should just about cover the cost of living increase that occured between January and June of this year. I guess cost of living increases that occured over the past 10 years before that don't need to be accounted for, according to SSA logic. Is there a change in how much an ALJ can approve at the local level for fee petitions?
ReplyDelete@3:25 if you don’t like the margins, do something else. I for one would ecstatic if the agency would get out direct pay business. With staffing at record lows, the reality of the situation dictates that we make drastic moves that save time and money. I realize the agency in many aspects is to blame for arriving at the situation but the representative business is littered with folks looking to make a quick buck(save for a few). So let’s try something new. I promise you things would flow quicker as SSA would not be burdened with playing the fax, email, call game which inundates us daily . Clearly NOSSCR has pull but we all hope that pull is waning …
ReplyDeleteThere was no fee cap when my attorney represented me.
ReplyDelete@3:25:
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that the fee cap increase will cover the actual inflation for both 2021 AND 2022.
Please stop exaggerating.
@3:25 here. I'm actually more interested in how much a local ALJ is allowed to approve on a fee petition. No one knows if the $10,000 cap on locally approved fee petitions will be increasing also, and by how much?
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge, line ALJs have not been informed of any increased in authority above or beyond the current limits for fee petitions. Of course, the agency doesn’t always share things with the ALJs…
DeleteWhat does this mean, practically speaking? Will you have current clients sign a new agreement dated on or after November 30 specifically delineating the new fee cap? Many few agreements already contain language that says $6000 “or an amount greater than that if Social Security increases the limit…”
ReplyDeleteWill you be “holding” claims ready for hearing to schedule them so that they occur on or after December 1st? Do you expect that the new fee agreement amount will be applied only to cases where hearings were held after November 30th? Do you expect the ALJ to apply the new fee cap to cases heard November 30 if the decision isn’t issued until after December 1? To cases where hearings were held on or after December 1? To decisions issued prior to November 30th but not acted upon by the payment center until after that date?