If The News Media Starts Covering Social Security Cases In The Federal Courts, You Know Something Has Changed

From the Associated Press:

Six years after he suffered a stroke at age 46 that ended his career as a truck driver, Paul McCadney faces still more legal proceedings in his effort to collect Social Security supplemental security income and disability insurance payments.

An administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration concluded that McCadney could still work as a janitor, and denied those benefits.

But a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis on Monday sent the case back to federal district court at Little Rock. The appeals panel ruled that it wasn't clear if the administrative law judge took into account or discounted the findings of a psychologist who concluded that McCadney suffered from dementia, adjustment disorder and avoidant personality.

Waiting In Indiana And Michigan

From WSBT in South Bend:

They worked hard for years, giving part of each paycheck to social security. Now a backlog is causing tens of thousands of people in Indiana and Michigan to wait months, even years for their Social Security Disability money.

In Indiana, the average processing time to collect Social Security Disability is 694 days. In Michigan it's 698 — that's almost 2 years. ...

"There's blame everywhere," explained attorney Bob Rosenfeld. "Congress has cut back substantially on the social security budget, resulting in reduction of the work force, resulting in an increased backlog."

Rosenfeld helps people involved in the backlog. When we asked the Regional Social Security Public Affairs office why the backlog is so large, a representative said over the phone:

"[The backlog] is not something that can be corrected overnight, but we are working at getting those processing times reduced."

Social Security Hiring

The Social Security Administration currently shows 183 job openings, which sounds like a lot and which is a lot compared to the hiring the agency has done in recent years. In reality, the Social Security Administration is keeping a near steady workforce this year. They are hiring only very slightly more than enough to keep up with attrition. Important parts of Social Security are still losing workers.

Help In Waukesha

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an article on Hebron House of Hospitality, apparently a homeless shelter, that provides help for individuals applying for Social Security disability benefits. Hebron House claims a success rate of over 90%. The executive director of Hebron House is quoted as saying "We take the hardest cases there are."

March Madness For SSA Employees?

The Small Business Administration has informed its employees that it is illegal for them to participate in an NCAA Basketball Tournament pool while on the job, at least if they involve money.

I hate to open a can of worms, but has the Social Security Administration taken a position on this?

What Does This Mean?

The title of this one had thrown me. David Traver at SSA CONNECT noticed this notice to potential contractors put out by the Social Security Administration:

SPECIAL NOTICE TO: Contractors who can provide subscription access for an electronic publication that will provide SSA with updated occupational information for use as a replacement for the Department of Labor's (DOL) Dictionary of Occupational Titles Revised 4th Edition (DOT) in SSA's disability evaluation process. -- THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND NO CONTRACT AWARD WILL BE MADE AS A RESULT OF THIS POSTING.

INTRODUCTION: The Social Security Administration (SSA) anticipates awarding multi-award contracts to contractors for electronic publication subscriptions on a pilot 120-day trial basis. Following the trial period, SSA may exercise the option of a full subscription with one of the contractors. SSA's requirements are further delineated in the attached Statement of Work (SOW).

FYI - Under SSA-RFI-08-1500, SSA is concurrently seeking Independent evaluators IE services which will include pre-award and post-award evaluations of the occupational information and methodology employed by the subscription contractors.

If you feel your organization possesses the capability and expertise for performing the above type of service, please provide the following information about your company:

1. Company name, address, email address, website address, and point of contact;
2. GSA FSS contract number if available;
3. Does your company have relevant experience in providing similar information to the government? If yes, briefly explain;

SSA anticipates issuing a Request for Quotation for the services described above around April, 2008 and awarding a single BPA within approximately 60 days thereafter.

This RFI is not a solicitation and does not constitute a request for quotation or proposals. The purpose of this RFI is strictly for determining capable sources for market research purposes only and for incorporating industry comments into the SOW. Submission of any information based on this RFI is purely voluntary.

Please submit your response directly to Robert Pfaff via email at robert.pfaff@ssa.gov .

Worse Off For Getting Workers Compensation

A recent study by the Social Security Administration shows that because Social Security disability benefits are offset by workers compensation benefits and because of the way in which Social Security disability benefits are computed, Social Security disability benefits recipients who also receive workers compensation benefits actually replace a lower percentage of their pre-injury wages than those who receive only Social Security disability benefits.

Youth Transition Demonstration Extended

From today's Federal Register:

On October 7, 2003, the Commissioner of Social Security published a Notice in the Federal Register (68 FR 57950) announcing the beginning of a demonstration project designed primarily to test the effectiveness of altering certain Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other program rules as an incentive to encourage individuals with disabilities or blindness to work or increase their work activity and earnings. In order to complete a more thorough evaluation of this project, we are extending the duration of the altered program rules in three of the seven original project locations and adding three new project locations that will also offer the alternative program rules.

New On Record Reversal Form

The February 2008 issue of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) newsletter includes a form that can be used to request that an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issue a fully favorable decision on the record (OTR or ORR for On Record Reversal), that is, without holding a hearing. Apparently, the form comes from the Social Security Administration, but Social Security will not post the form online until July, probably due to the need to meet the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act that requires approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for any new form.

I am attaching the form here, with NOSSCR's name and logo cropped out. Click on the images to view them full size.

Andrew Biggs Already Campaigning

Until his recent resignation, Andrew Biggs held a recess appointment as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security. The Senate had refused to confirm Biggs' appointment because of his advocacy for privatizing Social Security.

From a Wall Street Journal editorial page piece penned by Biggs and published today:

Until recently, Sen. Barack Obama took a responsible position on Social Security, noting the urgency of reform and saying all options should be on the table.

But having cornered himself among Democratic activists whose attitudes toward Social Security reform range from demagoguery to denial, Mr. Obama has recently veered sharply left. He now proposes to solve the looming Social Security shortfall exclusively with higher taxes. [Obama's plan is to partially lift the cap on wages covered by the FICA tax] ...

If we want to retain the shared character that underpins its political support and distinguishes it from traditional welfare programs, we need to share the burdens of reform proportionately.

For Biggs to talk about Obama undermining "the shared character that undepins [Social Security's] political support" is rich, since undermining Social Security's "shared character" is Biggs' purpose in life.