From Federal News Network:
Decades before the current boom in videoconference platforms, the Social Security Administration launched a similar concept to address workload backlogs.
In 2007, SSA opened National Hearing Centers to have administrative law judges hear more appeals from individuals whose initial retirement or disability claim was rejected. Individuals would show up at their local hearing office to have their appeals heard, but the case would be heard on video by an administrative law judge located in one of these National Hearing Centers.
But with the vast majority of these appeals hearings now taking place fully virtually through modern-day videoconference platforms, the agency is now planning to shutter these National Hearing Centers next week, on May 18. …
SSA is also launching a Policy Assistant Tool (PAT), an AI-powered chatbot designed to give employees access to information more quickly when assisting the public. …
Okay so now at least two competing AI chatbots exist at SSA. How long before they make #3, combining elements from both #1 and #2 but still somehow useless
ReplyDeleteI'll really miss that broom closet in Pennsauken...
ReplyDeleteSo will NHC ALJs have to do some in-person hearings now? And if I remember correctly, they couldn't join the ALJ union--will that change? Also curious what will happen with the Special Review Cadre; will this change affect it at all?
ReplyDeleteThe SRC is limited to HOCALJs as OHO attempts to perpetuate the bizarre fiction that management judges are somehow superior to line judges, even though they are the same pay grade and get the same training. In other words, as we move to an agency with a 1:1 manager:employee ratio, don't expect the SRC to go away.
DeleteWill the ALJ's be reassigned to other OHO's or are they being made redundant?
ReplyDeleteReassigned to other offices. If past experience holds, the head of OHO will now be able to cancel the NHC leases, then lie to Congress and tell them SSA is able to function with even less funding than ever before. Congress will then have cover to further slash the budget while the agency descends even further into into the hellscape of mismanaged agencies that can’t even carry out basic functions, setting the stage for abdication to the private sector, where companies like Palantir can reap massive profits while further destroying one of the world’s most important social safety nets and obliterating most Americans’ only hope of retiring without having to live on the street and beg for pocket change that’s becoming increasingly worthless by the day.
DeleteAnyone else have meetings with those teams of engineers and leaders on how to “best automate” more work? I fear this is a sign they will send more work to AI companies and reduce staff even more.
Delete@2:16: Tell them to automate their heads into an oven and turn the temperature up to about 900 degrees. I’ve been around for decades and have yet to see SSA unveil a single software advancement that doesn’t either make the work more cumbersome or just shift it to someone else on the assembly line. Just an unending waste of the taxpayers money
DeleteCharles - can’t for the life of me understand how you are moderating this discussion board and yet let through comments like “tell them to automate their heads in an oven.” No place for that.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how some of these NHC ALJ's adapt to how things are done in local OHOs. No more direct management of your staff. Some of the NHC ALJs had really big personalities and this may be a diffuclt transition for them.
ReplyDeleteYeah I was only briefly in an NHC detail as an AA for this reason. Work for a micromanager judge who pays in the lowest 10% of adjudicators? Sit back and watch DWPI get gutted?—hmm— how about no!!
ReplyDeleteThe influx of GS-13 NHC attorneys sheds an interesting light on the ALJ vacancy announcement (limited to GS-13 DA attorneys). Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteNHC attorneys aren’t laddered to GS13, so your curiosity is misplaced
DeleteNHC DWs were 12. Apart from 1 SAA 13
Delete12:29 here. This was obviously my misunderstanding. Perhaps I confused myself somehow thinking about the all-management ALJ corps in NHC. Sorry for the error.
DeleteThey have been carrying a lighter docket forever in the NHCs. To those who don't retire due to higher expectations, welcome aboard
ReplyDeleteFor years NHCs have gotten only cases hearing offices didn’t want. Super old cases, huge files, complicated, remands, jail cases, you name it. For a period when dockets were lighter, the NHCs were taking many of the hearings that hearing offices could not cover on short notice. Perhaps a bit of the red-headed step child?
DeleteThe NHC has been mismanaged for years and some of their leaders retired who helped build the backlog at the NHC. When DWM attempted to correct the problem the NHC cried and pushed back. Their judges are horrible and I rather work with a union judge than any management judge at the NHC. It has notoriously been a dumping ground for ground for Chief Judges that "misbehaved" had severe conduct issues because OIG has no backbone to deal with them. I'm so happy the NHC is going away, good riddance.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Chicago NHC was a cesspool
DeleteWell now I don’t feel so bad about pulling the ripcord early on my 1 year detail several years back! Those judges seemed like tyrants
DeleteLol. Who hurt you? Sheesh. And "NHC backlog"? There's no such thing.
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