Disabled Bay State residents may now face even more cuts to the services they urgently need, advocates said.As Gov. Deval Patrick prepares to narrow the $600 million budget shortfall, mentally ill residents and their advocates say they are bracing for slow processing of disability claims, as well as cuts that could eliminate services.
About 800 mental health advocates and mentally ill adults gathered in front of the State House yesterday, demanding the governor’s support to keep their clubhouses - facilities that provide job training, education and employment.
There are 32 Massachusetts clubhouse facilities across the state, which serve 15,000 adults.
The cuts come as the governor also looks at furloughs for employees at Massachusetts Disability Determination Services, a move that could stall processing for disability claims - worsening the services they provide - even as increasing numbers of people file for their Social Security disability payments.
Oct 28, 2009
Mentally Ill Rally Against Furloughs Of DDS Employees In Massachusetts
From the Boston Herald:
Results Of Yesterday's Unscientific Poll
Which Team Do You Want To Win The World Series?
| Philadelphia Phillies (37) | 49% |
| |
| New York Yankees (16) | 21% |
| |
| I Don't Care (22) | 29% |
|
Oct 27, 2009
Astrue Criticizes Massachusetts Governor
From the Boston Herald:
A top federal official rapped Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday for a belt-tightening move that could worsen a Social Security backlog, leaving tens of thousands of disabled citizens desperately waiting for benefits.
“We’ve got a rapidly increasing number of (disability) applicants. It tends to go up in bad economic times,” said Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue.
Astrue called Patrick’s plans to furlough workers and possibly cap staffing at the Massachusetts Disability Determination Services offices “inappropriate and counter-productive.”
This is ultimately an indefensible policy.”
Even though the DDS office is federally funded, employees are technically state workers subject to state Civil Service rules.
The governor’s press office had no comment on Astrue’s comments. ...
User Fee To Remain At $83 In 2010
Social Security will publish a notice in the Federal Register tomorrow saying, among other things, that the cap on the user fee charged to attorneys and others who receive direct payment of fees for representing Social Security claimants will remain at $83 in 2010.
New Hearing Offices
An anonymous poster at the ALJ Discussion Board gives a list of new hearing offices to be opened by Social Security with the projected dates for allowing Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) already working for the agency to opt to transfer in and the number of ALJs to be assigned to the office. This does not mean the offices will open as of the date given. I am sure it will take some time for ALJs transferring in to make the move. Perhaps, someone can tell us when the offices are actually projected to open.
Oct 26, 2009
Status Of Appropriations -- Not So Good
From the Capitol Insider put out by the Disability Policy Collaboration:
Congress continues to make slow progress on enacting FY 2010 appropriations bills. Conference reports on two appropriations bills are scheduled for floor votes in the House and Senate [but not the bill covering Social Security]. The Congress will also need to pass an extension on the Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires at the end of this week. A CR keeps those programs and agencies whose FY 2010 appropriations are still pending operating at FY 2009 levels. The next CR is expected to last through November and possibly December. An Omnibus Appropriations bill, which would combine all the FY 2010 appropriations not yet enacted into law, becomes increasingly likely before the end of the year.
One Sentence From An E-Mail I Received Today
"I called the Appeals Council today and was told by a clerk named ****** that the Appeals Council is 4 weeks behind in logging in faxes..."
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