From a press release:
Today, Congressman Joe Neguse [D-CO]and Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) wrote to Social Security Administration Acting Commissioner, Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, requesting an update on the agency’s efforts to expedite the processing of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications and appeals. Both programs provide assistance to Americans who meet the requirements for disability as well as those who are older, blind, or have little to no income. The lawmakers also requested information on how the Social Security Administration (SSA) is working to ensure agency materials are accessible for all individuals, regardless of their specific needs.
“Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the backlog of pending SSDI and SSI cases increased exponentially. Social Security employees worked tirelessly to adapt to a new environment, and more must be done to ensure access to these critical benefits,” said Congressman Joe Neguse.
“The process for applying for Social Security disability benefits is difficult to navigate, and only worsened by inaccessible materials and chronic underfunding, despite the program’s growing needs. For vulnerable individuals who are unable to work and are applying for benefits to survive, delays and denials without proper recourse can be frustrating, and at worst, devastating. I recognize that SSA has been severely underfunded and I will continue to fight to increase the agency’s resources. That said, as a Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee member, I join Rep. Neguse in leading the call for improved services, so that both SSA beneficiaries and applicants have access to the timely and accessible information and the benefits they have earned and are owed,” said Congresswoman Moore. ...
Talk is cheap. Fund ssa and fire the old guard
ReplyDeleteSo in other words, we know you don’t have enough funding or employees to get the work done but while you’re at it, find a way to improve services anyway.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone in congress live in reality?
"I recognize that SSA has been severely underfunded ....call for improved services, so that both SSA beneficiaries and applicants have access to the timely and accessible information and the benefits they have earned and are owed,” said Congresswoman Moore. ..."
ReplyDeleteHow the heck are we supposed to give claimants good service ,with severely inadequate staffing and funding? They can call for it all they want but it is not going to happen,
By the way SSA's IT is deteriorating rather than getting better. Paperless is often stuck on a spinning clock and this slows employee case processing down. .SSA Outlook Email freezes as the day goes on, making communication about cases and other issues quite difficult.
""SSA Outlook Email freezes as the day goes on, making communication about cases and other issues quite difficult.""
DeleteThis may be a user issue rather than a system-wide issue. No such problem exists on the OHO side for this user on a laptop issued last year
SSA IT is improving us to death. SSI claims take about 10 minutes longer than they used to after the geniuses that coded CCE moved more and more of MSSICS to it.
ReplyDeleteVIPR has more and more screens to click through and options you can't skip to just call down a claimant.
They're trying to shove this Second Client stuff down our throat because somebody is apparently getting a kickback to make us use Microsoft Teams for more stuff. There's solutions to make SS5s easier, and then there's this.
They had over a year from the time Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer would be sunset and prepare for a move to Edge, and they did nothing. Then they tried to just move to Edge with almost no preparation, and surprise surprise, the dozens of programs that were independently coded and maintained by different SSA regions wouldn't work anymore. Imagine that!
So now one of America's backbone social service agencies is running on obsolete browsers that are getting no security updates or developer support. Cool cool cool, that couldn't backfire or anything.
Probably the only thing keeping a ransomware gang from crippling SSA is that first they'd have to find somebody in Eastern Europe that still knows COBOL.
And, of course, by coincidence both of those fine upstanding members of Congress happen to be standing for re-election November 8th of this year.
ReplyDeleteI predict that, if they are re-elected, on November 9th of this year both will cease to give a rats ass about Social Security.
Happens every time.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Outlook problem is user related, but we actually got an emergency message on how to workaround the paperless spinning clock issue.
The workaround takes longer than just getting out of paperless and going back in which is how I resolve the spinning clock paperless issue. But its still a waste of time and it happens every day.