I need to clarify what Social Security is asking for in the Continuing Resolution (CR) that will keep government funded after the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Perhaps I misunderstood or perhaps what I had read earlier was really misleading. (I think the latter.) In any case, Social Security is not asking for an extra $800 million in the CR. They're asking to spend money during the CR as if their regular FY 2022 appropriation had been $800 million higher. Page 23. CRs typically allow agencies to spend money at the same rate as during their last regular appropriation. Social Security wants that baseline to be $800 million higher. For instance, if the CR were for three months, they would get an extra $200 million, not $800 million. Of course, giving Social Security this bump would presumably increase their baseline for FY 2023 appropriations consideration, which is even more important.
Sep 17, 2022
Clarification On CR
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I'm no government funding mavin but it sounds like to me they want to spend more during the timeframe than what would otherwise be allowed. Sounds like without request granted they can spend XX millions per day but if granted, can spend ZZ millions per day, a higher amount. Which also sounds like they'd run out of money sooner? But by having a higher ceiling or cap, you can better front load some things upfront.
The recent telework continuance email and the DCO Kim’s morale email and video make it clear that understaffing and high workloads are keeping morale low and making more difficult to hire. I believe we had roughly 300 new hires in the last 5 weeks but additional funding for hiring and OT is just the bare minimum.
With all the talk of how th SSA needs to add staff, which is undoubtedly true, there is little talk of how that would actually work in today's job market. See this article in the Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/irs-faces-tight-job-market-and-competition-for-talent-as-it-recruits-thousands-11663407003
which discusses how the IRS is planning to use the money they were given to add employees and the likelihood that some lower level, what they call call center employees, might be possible to add quickly, professionals are unlikely to be as easy to find in light of limited salary compared to similar jobs in the private sector.
The SSA has about 60,000 employees compared to the reported 80,000 IRS employees so not that different. Getting increased numbers to answer phones at SS would require extensive training in the SS system as to the different benefits and the process that is followed to pay benefits. Anyone dealing with the 800 number knows that the amount of misinformation now is overwhelming (i.e the reason your check is delayed is because your attorney did not file a fee petition, you can't file for DAC benefits because you are over 22 now, you are not insured for Title II [even if you were insured in the past as of the AOD, etc.) so any new hires even for SS call centers is a long process. And for professional staff, CR's in DO's or Adjudicators in State Agencies, good luck attracting college graduates for GS 7 pay to start, currently $38,503 to start before any area adjustment.
So, even with a substantial increase in funding, don't expect any improvement any time soon. Deferred maintenance of the employees for years under both parties takes a very long time to fix if it is ever fixed.
They wouldn't do anything with it if they did.
Let's look to see how many job openings there currently are on SSA's internal vacancies website.
1- Seattle region (AK,ID,OR,WA)- 30 jobs.
2- San Francisco region (AZ,CA,NV,Hawaii,Guam/Samoa/Pacific islands)- 42 jobs
3- Chicago region (OH,MI,IL,IN,WI,MN)- 43 jobs
4- Atlanta region (AL,FL,GA,KY,MS,NC,SC,TN)- 48 jobs
5- Boston region (CT,ME,MA,NH,RI,VT- 19 jobs
6- Philadelphia region (PA,VA,WV,MD,DE) - 52 jobs
7- New York region (NY,NJ,Puerto Rico/VI)- 42 jobs
8- Kansas City region (IA,KS,MO,NE)- 18 jobs
9- Denver region (CO,MT,ND,SD,UT,WY)- 13 jobs
10-Dallas region (AR,LA,OK,NM,TX)- 31 jobs
11- HQ (Baltimore) 41 jobs
See for yourself. It's a publicly available website.
https://ssai.usajobs.gov/
379 jobs. (Really less, since some of those announcements are "accepting resume" ones, that aren't really job openings.)
379 jobs, for an agency that would be roughly 70,000 at full strength, but is at 59,000 and plummeting. 379 jobs, when the basic entry level service rep position is generally considered to take two years of experience to even become proficient. When the anecdotes from field offices are that even the hires they get are facing 50% attrition by the time they're done with training.
Then you get to how top-heavy SSA is (look at that list- Baltimore has as many openings as the entire Pacific Coast). Not only does HQ suck up far more than its own share of hires, but look at where a lot of those openings are across the country. You'll see a disproportionate share of them either in the regional HQ cities, or even in Area (state) HQs.
So go ahead, beg Congress for more money so Kilolo Kijakazi can put her dogwalker on staff, and our area director can renovate his office for the 3rd time in six years. We don't expect any of it to reach us in the level 2 field offices.
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