From some television station in Milwaukee:
They can’t work, have little money to fall back on, and are waiting months for the approval of [Social Security disability] claims that could put a roof over their heads. The delays are impacting some of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable. ...
Back in 2019, it took 116 days on average to get an initial disability decision in Wisconsin. Today, it takes 247 days on average. Decisions are made by the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in Madison. ...
Doug Nguyen, regional communications director for SSA, tells Contact 6 they’re working to "reduce the backlog of disability cases that developed during the pandemic." However, he says they need "adequate and sustained funding."
Nguyen says SSA received 55% of the increase President Biden requested for its administrative budget in 2023. He says SSA has experienced historically high attrition at DDS locations and is having difficulty hiring new workers, "similar to the larger labor market."
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) also blames a transition mid-pandemic to a new federal system for processing disability claims. A DHS spokesperson says Wisconsin’s old system was more efficient. ...
6 comments:
Please name any government agencies that are fully staffed.
Please name any industry that is fully staffed in the new economy.
What do you actually expect? This is the new normal we all heard about, it isnt going to change any time soon. The more bashing articles that circulate the more good people you chase away. If you see these articles do you think people go out of their way to join a disaster?
Perhaps, 11:34, the folks in charge should start thinking outside of the old government box. How much time and money is wasted re-reviewing cases at Recon and the hearing level that should have been paid initially. If DDS would take the time to fully develop and adequately review cases, more time and money would be saved in the long run. Yet, the agency does not want this type of efficiency because long wait times discourage people from pursing benefits.
DDS spends an inordinate amount of time collecting information that is not relevant to the process. For example, developing detailed work history for claimants under 50 at the time of the onset date, or demanding minute details of past jobs. They will often insist on knowing exactly how long a person sat, stood, crouched, etc. on a job, as if they timed themselves, or even when it's obvious it's a light or medium job (baker, carpenter, etc.) At OHO, staff attorneys are now calling reps to confirm permission for phone hearings instead of reviewing cases for possible OTRs or writing decisions. The field offices don't list representatives on cases despite numerous requests, and then get annoyed with more than one request. This makes representation very difficult. More money will not cause SSA to be more efficient. They have to want it, and time has shown that they don't.
Again, I've said it once and I'll say it again a hundred times: when the agency plans its IT modernization projects, productivity and efficiency are usually not even on the list of design priorities. In fact, they aren't even considered at all.
SSA management truly has the same qualifications for overseeing IT modernization that they do managing people - absolutely none whatsoever....
"At OHO, staff attorneys are now calling reps to confirm permission for phone hearings instead of reviewing cases for possible OTRs or writing decisions. The field offices don't list representatives on cases despite numerous requests, and then get annoyed with more than one request."
This is a hilariously misinformed comment.
Edit from 9:38AM-- I meant to copy only the portion about OHO. I can't speak to what goes on at the DO. That's what I get for posting before my coffee.
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