Looks Like The Biggest Problem Is A Lack Of Warm Bodies To Get The Work Done

     From Workload Review of the Office of Hearings Operations’ Atlanta and New York Regions, a report by Social Security's Office of Inspector General:

The hearing offices in both regions with high average processing times (APT) had below average staffing levels, low morale, and issues with telework, claimant representatives, and the quality of the support staff’s work. Other factors, such as administrative law judge performance issues, difficulty scheduling expert witnesses, and a large number of supplemental hearings/postponements also contributed to high APT. In the New York Region, local office management issues and State filing requirements were also negative factors. In the Atlanta Region, an insufficient number of decision writers and information technology problems were negative factors.

In the New York Region, several interviewees cited their Regional Office as a negative factor that contributed to higher APT and lower productivity. The issues that interviewees cited included Regional Office micromanagement, excessive time and oversight devoted to minor issues, goals not agreeing with real capabilities, negative messaging/tone, and frequent changes implemented with little notice or input. The New York Regional Office generally agreed with our findings but explained that a few offices require closer regional level oversight for a variety of reasons, including inexperienced or under- performing managers, failure to follow established policy and procedures, and employee conduct or performance matters. Some interviewees in the Atlanta Region cited similar issues with their Regional Office, though the feedback was more mixed. ...

One In Ten Field Offices Closed

Demonstrators protesting closure of Arlington, VA field office

     From the Washington Post:

The Social Security Administration plans to close its Arlington field office and one of its Baltimore locations in June, part of a series of shutdowns across the country that activists and political leaders say is causing major difficulties for the elderly, people with disabilities and other beneficiaries.

The agency has closed about 125 of its approximately 1,250 offices since 2000 — a 10 percent reduction, part of what officials describe as a shift to greater use of online services in an era of budget constraints and a growing population of senior citizens.

In addition, all 533 Social Security Administration “contact sites” — locations that serve remote, rural populations on a weekly or monthly basis — have closed, said leaders of the union that represents Social Security employees. ...

A Grace Note

     The final footnote in the opinion of Magistrate Judge Joan Glazer Margolis in Lawson v. Berryhill, 3:17 CV 247 (JGM) (D.Conn.2018):

After having had the great privilege of serving as a U .S. Magistrate Judge for more than thirty-three years and now facing retirement in approximately five weeks, this decision is the last Social Security ruling to be filed by this judicial officer. This Ma gistrate Judge estimates that she has filed at least 350 rulings on Social Security matters, starting with one filed in March 1985, just one month after she began this position. This judicial officer has never lost sight of how critical these Social Security files are to the parties involved, and few other rulings issued in federal court have the profound impact on the parties as these do. 

Starting in August 2002, this Magistrate Judge has had the great assistance of her highly talented career law clerk, Monica Watson Cucchiarelli, in approximately 150 of these Social Security rulings. Ms. Watson’ s contribution to the development of Social Security law in this district has been immeasurable, and there a re few lawyers as knowledgeable, and talented, about these matters than she is. The only reason this Magistrate Judge has remained relatively current with her Social Security docket, which began to soar in 2009  nd continues to do so at a dramatically escalating pace, is due to the diligence, perseverance, and wisdom of Ms. Watson, who consistently ga e up her evenings and weekends to work on these files. The Social Security bar, the District Court, and this judicial officer in particular, owe Ms. Watson their deepest gratitude.

How To Deal With An Overpayment

     So, who should you call when Social Security stops your checks because THEY made a mistake? Your local TV station, of course. You certainly can't expect the agency to resolve the issue or tell you what to do.

Wave Of The Future?

     The Glenwood Springs, Colorado Social Security field office is moving to a new location. With the move, the hours that the office will be open to the public will be 9:00 am to noon Monday through Friday. Previously, the office, like other Social Security field offices in recent years, had been closed to the public only on Wednesday afternoons.

New Proposed Musculoskeletal Listings Out

     Social Security is publishing proposed new musculoskeletal Listings in the Federal Register on Monday. You can read them today. They're 169 pages long!

Another D.C. Area Field Office Closing

     I'm hearing that the Baltimore North Social Security field office will be closed.

Great New Idea!

     A law professor has a great new idea. Why don't we pay for Trump's wall on the Mexican border by taking money out of the Social Security Trust Funds? It's only fair. Many undocumented migrants from Mexico have paid into those Trust Funds but will never draw benefits because they worked under phony Social Security numbers. Who could object to taking that money out of the Trust Funds to pay for the wall?

Why Does This Vary So Greatly?

Ranking of the HO dispositions per ALJ per day Sorted by ALJ Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ: Descending Order

Rank	Hearing Office	Region	ALJ Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ
1	PONCE	02	3.99
2	MORENO VALLEY	09	3.03
3	SAN BERNARDINO	09	2.87
4	JACKSON MS	04	2.62
5	MCALESTER	06	2.61
6	TULSA	06	2.60
7	FORT SMITH	06	2.53
8	KINGSPORT	04	2.51
9	LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN	09	2.49
10	HUNTINGTON WV	03	2.47
11	DALLAS NORTH	06	2.44
12	HONOLULU	09	2.41
13	TOPEKA KS	07	2.40
14	SYRACUSE	02	2.39
15	FLINT	05	2.38
16	SALT LAKE CITY	08	2.37
17	AKRON OH	05	2.31
17	HOUSTON NORTH	06	2.31
19	GRAND RAPIDS	05	2.29
19	LIVONIA MI	05	2.29
19	OMAHA	07	2.29
22	CHARLESTON WV	03	2.28
22	FRANKLIN TN	04	2.28
24	METAIRIE	06	2.27
24	PROVIDENCE	01	2.27
26	CHATTANOOGA	04	2.26
27	SPRINGFIELD MA	01	2.25
28	ORLANDO	04	2.22
29	INDIANAPOLIS	05	2.18
29	LITTLE ROCK	06	2.18
29	PHOENIX	09	2.18
29	TUCSON	09	2.18
33	ALBANY	02	2.17
33	NEW ORLEANS	06	2.17
33	ORANGE	09	2.17
36	PORTLAND OR	10	2.16
37	MT PLEASANT MI	05	2.15
38	ALEXANDRIA	06	2.14
38	GREENVILLE	04	2.14
40	LANSING	05	2.13
41	ATLANTA NORTH	04	2.12
41	HARRISBURG	03	2.12
41	MEMPHIS	04	2.12
41	RIO GRANDE VALLEY TX	06	2.12
41	WICHITA	07	2.12
46	DOVER	03	2.10
47	LAWRENCE MA	01	2.09
47	LOS ANGELES WEST	09	2.09
47	NASHVILLE	04	2.09
50	EVANSVILLE	05	2.08
50	HARTFORD	01	2.08
50	LONG ISLAND	02	2.08
50	MONTGOMERY	04	2.08
50	NEWARK	02	2.08
55	KANSAS CITY	07	2.07
55	ST PETERSBURG FL	04	2.07
57	LAS VEGAS	09	2.06
57	NORFOLK	03	2.06
57	TAMPA	04	2.06
60	COLUMBUS	05	2.05
60	LOUISVILLE	04	2.05
60	RALEIGH	04	2.05
60	SPOKANE	10	2.05
64	MADISON	05	2.04
64	MINNEAPOLIS	05	2.04
64	ST LOUIS	07	2.04
67	BALTIMORE	03	2.03
68	ORLAND PARK	05	2.02
68	SOUTH JERSEY	02	2.02
70	OAK PARK	05	2.01
71	ALBUQUERQUE	06	2.00
71	DETROIT	05	2.00
71	ROCHESTER	02	2.00
71	SACRAMENTO	09	2.00
75	HATTIESBURG	04	1.99
75	JERSEY CITY	02	1.99
75	NORWALK	09	1.99
75	PORTLAND ME	01	1.99
75	RICHMOND	03	1.99
75	WEST DES MOINES	07	1.99
81	FLORENCE	04	1.98
81	PADUCAH	04	1.98
81	QUEENS	02	1.98
84	CHICAGO	05	1.97
84	COLORADO SPRINGS	08	1.97
86	BIRMINGHAM	04	1.96
86	MIDDLESBORO	04	1.96
88	COVINGTON GA	04	1.95
88	DAYTON	05	1.95
88	FORT WORTH	06	1.95
88	SHREVEPORT	06	1.95
92	COLUMBIA MO	07	1.94
92	MORGANTOWN	03	1.94
92	VALPARAISO IN	05	1.94
95	MILWAUKEE	05	1.93
95	PEORIA	05	1.93
95	STOCKTON	09	1.93
95	WASHINGTON	03	1.93
99	EUGENE	10	1.92
99	OKLAHOMA CITY	06	1.92
99	WILKES BARRE	03	1.92
102	FORT WAYNE	05	1.90
102	OAK BROOK	05	1.90
102	TUPELO	04	1.90
102	WHITE PLAINS	02	1.90
106	HOUSTON-BISSONNET	06	1.89
106	RENO	09	1.89
108	BOSTON	01	1.88
108	EVANSTON	05	1.88
110	FAYETTEVILLE NC	04	1.87
111	TOLEDO OH	05	1.86
112	CHARLOTTESVILLE	03	1.85
112	CINCINNATI	05	1.85
112	KNOXVILLE	04	1.85
115	CHARLOTTE	04	1.84
115	ELKINS PARK	03	1.84
115	ROANOKE	03	1.84
115	SEVEN FIELDS	03	1.84
119	JACKSONVILLE	04	1.83
120	ANCHORAGE	10	1.82
121	CLEVELAND	05	1.80
121	DALLAS DOWNTOWN	06	1.80
123	LONG BEACH	09	1.79
123	MOBILE	04	1.79
123	NEW YORK VARICK	02	1.79
126	SAVANNAH	04	1.78
127	MANCHESTER	01	1.77
127	SAN RAFAEL	09	1.77
129	CREVE COEUR	07	1.76
129	PITTSBURGH	03	1.76
129	TALLAHASSEE FL	04	1.76
132	PHOENIX NORTH	09	1.75
132	TACOMA	10	1.75
134	COLUMBIA SC	04	1.74
134	DENVER	08	1.74
134	JOHNSTOWN	03	1.74
134	SPRINGFIELD MO	07	1.74
138	ATLANTA DOWNTOWN	04	1.73
138	LEXINGTON	04	1.73
138	SAN ANTONIO	06	1.73
141	FORT MYERS FL	04	1.71
141	FRESNO	09	1.71
143	CHARLESTON SC	04	1.70
143	NEW YORK	02	1.70
143	PHILADELPHIA EAST	03	1.70
146	BRONX	02	1.69
146	BUFFALO	02	1.69
146	SAN FRANCISCO	09	1.69
149	SAN JUAN	02	1.68
150	FT LAUDERDALE	04	1.67
150	NEW HAVEN	01	1.67
152	MIAMI	04	1.64
152	OAKLAND	09	1.64
152	SAN DIEGO	09	1.64
155	BILLINGS	08	1.62
155	GREENSBORO	04	1.62
155	MACON	04	1.62
158	FARGO	08	1.59
159	PHILADELPHIA	03	1.58
160	PASADENA	09	1.54
161	SEATTLE	10	1.53
162	SAN JOSE	09	1.52
163	SANTA BARBARA	09	1.44

From a data file released by Social Security

Haven't Had Time To Get Around To It?

     If I remember correctly, since 1982 claimants who are facing the termination of their Social Security disability benefits on the grounds that they have medically improved have been able to ask that their disability benefits be continued while they appeal the decision to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Even though it's been more than 30 years, Social Security still has no form for asking for benefit continuation. Various field offices have cobbled together their own forms or just do something ad hoc for each case but there's no official form. Why?