Memo To ALJs: Schedule 50 A Month And You Can Have Telework

     From a memorandum sent to all Social Security Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) today by the Chief ALJ:

... Considering the necessity for quality, timely, and policy compliant hearings and decisions, and historical data, scheduling an average of at least fifty (50) cases for hearing per month will generally signify a reasonably attainable number for the purposes of this contractual provision [the contract is between Social Security and the ALJ union]. I want to emphasize that this provision concerns the number of hearings scheduled, not cases heard or dispositions issued. Accordingly, if you schedule at least an average of fifty (50) cases for hearing per month during a twelve-month rolling cycle, then management generally will determine you have scheduled a reasonably attainable number of cases for hearing for the purposes of this contractual provision. Conversely, if you schedule fewer than an average of fifty (50) cases for hearing per month during a twelve-month rolling cycle, then management likely will determine you have not scheduled a reasonably attainable number of cases for hearing, unless there are extenuating circumstances. ... 

When, after consideration of all factors, management determines that you have not scheduled a reasonably attainable number of cases for hearing, they will inform you of the determination and of the possibility that your ability to telework may be restricted. If management concludes there is no acceptable reason for not scheduling a reasonably attainable number of hearings, then they may restrict telework by not approving telework or canceling previously approved telework days. Again, management will consider any extenuating circumstances in making this determination....

Speed Up For 100% Disabled Vets

     From the Baltimore Sun:

The Social Security Administration plans to streamline its review of disability claims for veterans starting next month, shaving weeks off the process by which it determines benefits, officials are set to announce Wednesday. ...

Under the new policy, applicants who have been deemed 100 percent disabled by the VA are to be put on a "fast track" at virtually every step of the process. ...

The change won't make it any more likely veterans will receive benefits, officials say — just that they'll get a decision more quickly. ...

     Update: And, here's the announcement but it's brief and a bit vague. If there are staff instructions, they haven't been released to the public yet.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

     Last June, the American Psychiatric Association issued the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This included the new diagnostic category of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. This was primarily aimed at children and adolescents. It is a type of mood disorder. It fits poorly into Social Security's childhood listing for mood disorders.

     I'm guessing that Social Security must have given some guidance to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) on how to handle diagnoses of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder but I haven't seen any. Does anyone have a copy they can shoot my way? You can send feedback to Social Security News, anonymously if you wish. You have to enter valid domain name but the rest can be bogus if you wish. However, you can't send attachments.

"Paper Options" And Social Security

     From the Washington Post:

As the Obama administration pushes to do more business over the Internet, finally seeking to close the technology gap with the private sector, the digital makeover is running into a dogged opponent called Consumers for Paper Options.

The group is working the halls of Congress in closed-door meetings, underwriting research favorable to its position and mounting a news media campaign in an effort to preserve Washington as the capital of paper — and slow the move away from printed checks, forms and other paper communication.

The lobbying group has had some recent victories, including language tucked into last month’s budget deal that requires the government to plan for resuming paper delivery of annual Social Security earnings statements to some of the nation’s 150 million future retirees. And it’s been claiming these wins in the name of the elderly and low-income Americans the Internet has left behind.

Except Consumers for Paper Options is a creation of the paper industry.

A Poll

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

Central Offices Opening Four Hours Late Today -- No, Not Opening At All

     Social Security's central offices in the Baltimore area are opening four hour late today due to snow.

    Update: Other federal offices in the Baltimore-Washington area are opening two hours late instead of four.
     Further update: On second thought, Social Security has decided to just close its central offices for the day instead of opening late.

Why Many Field Offices In The South Are Closed Today

 

This is a photo taken (not by me) in the Raleigh area yesterday afternoon.

Central Offices Closed But Who Knows About Field And Hearing Office Closings

     Social Security's central offices in the Baltimore-Washington area are closed today because of weather conditions. Many field and hearing offices along the East coast are also closed. Social Security has a website where these closings are supposed to be listed but this system has almost completely broken down. As an example, no office closings are shown in North Carolina, where I am, but I'm pretty sure that all field offices and hearing offices in the state are closed. It's obvious to me that there must be dozens of office closings in other states  that are also unlisted. Somebody needs to get this system working properly.

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.