Caseload Analysis Report

      The Social Security Administration has posted the Caseload Analysis Report for its Office of Hearings Operations (or whatever they’re calling it these days) run on June 17. It reflects trends already apparent — falling numbers of ALJs, increased backlogs, increased use of overtime and a small use of “Agency Video Objections” which make me fear that the hearing process may be used for immigration enforcement.

New OHO Report Posted

      I had posted a link to the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) Caseload Analysis report but it only went through March. They’ve now posted a new report going through most of April. 

     What sticks out to me is the huge amount of overtime OHO is getting. Of course, this is at the expense of other agency components. I think that SSA management is quite concerned by the prospect of a huge and rapidly growing backload at OHO so they’re borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, which is the story at Social Security for many years,

New Caseload Analysis Report

      The Social Security Administration has finally released its Caseload Analysis Report for its Office of Hearing Operations. It’s only through  March but it’s still good to have it again. I’d like to reproduce it here but there’s a  practical problem I won’t bore you with. You can just go to the link.

     There’s a couple of new things I notice. First, the total receipts at OHO are far higher than the dispositions. Perhaps related is the fact that OHO is getting a ton of overtime. Second, there’s a new line showing “Agency Video Objections.” It’s only a handful of cases. The only explanation that comes to my mind is that they’re forcing a few people who want phone or video hearings to show up in person so ICE can arrest them but maybe it’s something different altogether. I’d be interested to know.

OHO Operating Stats

 

From Social Security -- Click on image to view full size

 

OHO Caseload Report

 

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OHO Gets 41,000 Hours Of OT In June And Still Loses Ground

 

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OHO Had More Than 50,000 Overtime Hours Last Month But Still Lost Ground

 

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ALJs Available Dropping Rapidly

 

From Social Security. Click on image to view full size

Hearing Backlog Starts To Inch Up As Available ALJs Dip Below 1,000

 

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OHO Caseload Analysis Report

     From Social Security. Note they still refer to it as ODAR. How many years has it been since that name was changed? Has the overtime now ended at OHO?:

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Note The Amount Of Overtime

 

From Social Security. Click on image to view full size

OHO Office Closing

 

    The Social Security hearing office in White Plains, NY is closing. That's unusual. I can't remember when I've heard of an Office of Hearings Operations office closing.

Dwindling Number Of ALJs

     Notice that unless more Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are hired we will be below 1,000 ALJs in a few months. At one point, there were almost 2,000 ALJs at Social Security.

From Social Security. Click on image to view full size.

OHO Caseload Analysis Report

 

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OHO Caseload Analysis Report

 

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Some Pics

     The Commissioner of Social Security, Martin O'Malley, visited Raleigh yesterday for an event at the Governor's Mansion to celebrate the 70th anniversary of North Carolina's Disability Determination Service (DDS). My partner and I received an invitation to the event. Here are a few pictures. 

    First, me with Commissioner O'Malley:

    Second, a picture of my partner, Crystal Rouse, with the Commissioner:

    Next, a picture of Rose Mary Buehler, the Regional Commissioner for the Atlanta Region, myself, Joseph Lytle, the Deputy Commissioner for Hearings Operations and Crystal.

    Finally, a picture of the NC DDS employees in attendance.

    The venue was not large enough to accommodate the entire workforce at NC DDS.

Report On OHO Operations

     A statistical report from Social Security on performance at its Office of Hearings Operations:

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OHO Caseload Analysis Report

     A statistical report from Social Security on performance at its Office of Hearings Operations:

Click on image to view full size

 

Hearing Office Wait Time

    From the Commissioner:

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    By the way, what happened to Alaska?

OHO Caseload Analysis Report

     A statistical report from Social Security on performance at its Office of Hearings Operations:

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