A Cluster In Birmingham?

     Alex Flowers, who had been a Claims Representative at Social Security's Birmingham field office, has been indicted on several federal charges alleging that he used his access to Social Security's databases to cause the issuance of several payments to accounts which he controlled. A different Birmingham Social Security employee had been indicted on similar charges late last year.

Unemployment Has Little Effect On Number Of Disability Claims

     From a press release issued by the Columbia Business School:

With millions of Americans' unemployment benefits expiring, and as the Social Security Administration comes under increasing pressure to reform its financially-troubled entitlement program, policymakers are asking whether a significant amount of Americans are bilking disability benefits from federal coffers. A new study from Columbia Business School sheds light on the answer. ...

"Contrary to the beliefs of many, even in policy circles, our research proves that the unemployed do not directly file for disability following the exhaustion of benefits," says Columbia Business School Professor Andreas Mueller, who helmed the study. "The evidence is just not there. As a matter of fact, fewer than 2% of workers whose unemployment benefits had expired actually applied for disability insurance."  ...

The research reveals that expiring unemployment insurance does not cause a spike in SSDI. In fact, all of the analyses show a 2% or smaller correlation between the number of workers whose unemployment benefits had been exhausted and the number of those who applied for disability insurance. Even in states that had a lengthy unemployment extension period, Mueller and his co-authors did not observe a significant drop in disability insurance applications. ...

"Although we cannot rule out small effects , the takeaway here is we can conclude that there is no convincing evidence that workers whose unemployment benefits have expired apply for disability insurance on a large scale," says Mueller. ...

     Many people envision disability as an either or thing that happens suddenly. Either you're disabled or you're not disabled and when it happens, you know right away. Most of the time, though, it's not that way. It's not a sudden stroke or automobile accident that disables a person but a slow deterioration, caused by something like diabetes or arthritis.  The worker keeps trudging in to work until he or she slowly comes to the conclusion that they just can't do it anymore. In this common situation, events and circumstances not directly related to the worker's health can affect the timing of the worker's exit from the labor market. The attitude of the employer can make a huge difference. Some employers try to accommodate their ailing employees. Some try to force them out.  If you think the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made any real difference, you're naive. The ADA is beloved inside the Washington Beltway but a dead letter everywhere else.Of course, layoffs can make a difference at the margins. Some employees who are heading toward disability get laid off. The layoff may hasten disability claims or delay them by giving people an income from unemployment benefits. It's all at the margins and nothing to get excited about unless you're trying to make political points.

Submit All The Evidence Proposed Regs Clear OMB.

     The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has now cleared Social Security's proposal:

... to require claimants to inform us about or submit all evidence known to them that relates to their disability claim, subject generally to two exceptions for privileged communications and work product. This requirement would include the duty to submit all relevant evidence obtained from any source in its entirety, unless subject to an exception. We also propose to require a representative to help the claimant obtain the information or evidence that the claimant must submit under our regulations. 

     Some unspecified "change" was made while this was at OMB.
     Expect to see this in the Federal Register in the near future. It went through OMB on a fast track.
    Social Security must first publish this proposal in the Federal Register, allow comments, consider those comments and then publish final regulations, a process likely to take at least a year.

Why Wealthy People Think That Cuts To Social Security Aren't A Big Deal

The Hearing Backlogs Haven't Gone Away

     A Buffalo television station reports on Social Security's long hearing backlogs. I still can't believe that the United States has come to accept hearing backlogs of over a year.

Social Security Administration Lost 3.9% Of Its Workforce Between September 2012 and September 2013

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has posted updated figures for the number of employees at the Social Security Administration.

• September 2013 62,543
• June 2013 62,877
• March 2013 63,777
• December 2012 64,538
• September 2012 65,113
• September 2011 67,136
• December 2010 70,270
• December 2009 67,486
• September 2009 67,632
• December 2008 63,733
• September 2008 63,990
• September 2007 62,407
• September 2006 63,647
• September 2005 66,147
• September 2004 65,258
• September 2003 64,903
• September 2002 64,648
• September 2001 65,377
• September 2000 64,521

     That's a 3.9% decline in employment over the last year and an 11% drop since the 2010 election that put Republicans in control of the House of Representatives.

Baucus To China; Wyden Likely To Become Senate Finance Chair

     Max Baucus, who has been the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has been confirmed as United States Ambassador to China. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is expected to succeed Baucus as Senate Finance Committee Chairman. The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over Social Security. Wyden is far more liberal than Baucus.

"Inefficient, Mean And Certainly Not 'For The People'"

     Liz Wainger didn't think much of her visit to a Social Security field office. She writes about it for Huffington Post.

Death Stalks Social Security Disability Recipients

How Is The National Computer Center Project Coming Along?

     Social Security is building a new national computer center. It's been quite some time since I've heard anything about this big project. How is it going? Are budget problems slowing it down? What is the expected completion date?