It's June 21. Social Security is today demanding that I tell them which days I'm available for hearings in December. That's more than six months off. They haven't started scheduling for October but if I delay giving them an answer, they'll just assume I've available the whole month and won't let me update it later.
Have you decided what days you're going to take off around Christmas?
Is it just me or does this seem bizarre, almost abusive? It's certainly unnecessary.
11 comments:
It's one of the dumbest things SSA has created
SSA employees have to put in for vacation twice a year for the following 6 month period. Changes can be made but requests for time off after the request period may be denied.
Part of the legacy of the former head of ODAR, who transitioned all hearing reporting to contractors, to mixed results, and this rigid approach to scheduling. Tough on judges and ODAR line employees also. Hopefully, O'Malley will push some change in ODAR, including streamlining its layers of redundant management.
we ask the same thing of the ALJs. if we could change the rules and allow for scheduling of hearings with little (think 7-21 day notice) then this advance scheduling wouldn't be required. However, given the multiple moving parts (ALJs, claimants, reps, VEs and VHRs) the advance notice is required.
Also, yes, I have decided which days I will take off around Christmas.
And if you have cases in more than one Social Security defined Region, you have to provide non-overlapping dates to each Region. And this applies even if you only practice in one Region but for case load purposes, cases in your Region are reassigned to ALJs in a different region.
And the reason is because different administrative regions can't seem to be able to talk with each other.
For a sole practitioner this rapidly becomes unmanageable. For group practices, it is easier but made more difficult by the SSA not recognizing law firms.
Personally, I haven't found that it mattered as half the time I still get scheduled when I specifically requested no hearings that day. "The judge had an opening."
They don't listen anyway so what truly is the point?
I thought the whole idea was to serve the claimants and get their hearings scheduled as soon as possible. The biggest obstacle is the reps who have many clients and who will not give the hearing offices enough days to schedule all of their claimants.
…and the reason why they have so many clients is due to the fact that SSA/DDS rubber stamps “denied”
I'm available on Christmas.
This much advance notice is definitely not required. I know that because no US court system operates by demanding availability from the attorneys who practice before it.
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