Baucus Commends Former Commissioner Barnhart

Senator Max Baucus, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Social Security Administration has issued a statement commending former Commissioner of Social Security Jo Anne Barnhart.

More Evidence Of Social Security Staffing Problems

The National Conference of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA) is an organization of Social Security management personnel. They post online the minutes of their meetings. Those minutes give a fascinating insight into the problems faced by Social Security's frontline personnel. The minutes of their January 17, 2007 teleconference have been posted. This sounds awfully boring, but if you are interested in what is really going on at Social Security, these minutes are fascinating.

Here is NCSSMA's discussion of service backlog issues:

Carla asked about whether Congress has commented about the service backlogs. She is seeing an increase in the number of congressional inquiries her office receives. ...

Hugh Stempfley related information about a conference call conducted in Illinois between SSA, represented by CO [Central Office], Chicago RO [Regional Office], and many district managers and congressional staff members from Senator Obama and Senator Durbin’s offices. The call lasted two hours and the focus was on how offices are losing staff without being able to replace them and how the loss of staff has negatively impacted service in the field offices. All concerned concluded that we have resource issues in the field offices right now.

Rick mentioned that he had a call from a manager today who pointed out that the public has an increased expectation of field office service levels but our staffing levels continue to decrease. This is a problem we are seeing in field offices and teleservice centers across the country.

Charlotte Observer On Disability Backlogs

The Charlotte Observer has an article on backlogs in adjudicating disability claims at Social Security. The report that about 20% of clients at a homeless shelter are awaiting action on Social Security disability claims is sobering.

The reporter misunderstood something that I said. I did not tell him that five to six of my clients die each year. I told him that something like five to six of my firm's clients die each year. My firm has six lawyers doing Social Security representation full time.

Budget Picture -- Bad, But Not As Bad As I Thought

An informed source tells me that I was not reading the continuing resolution accurately, or, perhaps, that it is much more complicated than I thought. I will quote from an e-mail I received from this informed source:

A few hints on what you need to look at. The number quoted on page 78 does not include the SSI user fee which is around 117 million. See the SSA appendix. Also there will probably be around another 40 million for SSA salaries and benefits (see page 8 and 9 of CR). Total will be very close to what House approps recommended. This is why Obey's office could put this out:

"...Most programs are funded at FY 2006 levels with increases to cover the cost of pay increases. Necessary additions are made to maintain staffing levels, avoid furloughs, and generally meet increased costs or workloads for agencies most notably: the Department of Justice, the Judiciary, the Social Security Administration, the FAA (including air traffic control), International peacekeeping operations, the Indian Health Service, the Food & Drug Administration, and the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service.

http://appropriations.house.gov/News/pr_070129.shtml

The House amount is right on the line of missing a furlough but leave SSA with a virtual hiring freeze this year which will still be very hard on the Agency.

Budget News Is Bad

The chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have released their proposed continuing funding resolution for fiscal year 2007. Hidden inside this lengthy document is §20645(a), which calls for a Social Security budget of $9.137 billion. The President's budget for FY 2007 had called for a $9.496 billion budget for Social Security's administrative operations. Even that much higher budget would have resulted in a loss of 2,545 full time staff positions. The actual FY 2006 budget was $9.109 billion, as best I can tell, which would indicate only a 1% increase for FY 2007 over FY 2006. The FY 2006 level was the funding level provided in the last continuing funding resolution and that was predicted to require furloughing all Social Security employees for 10 days. Is $28 million more enough to prevent employee furloughs at Social Security? Certainly, it is not enough to prevent significant further deterioration in service at Social Security. There may be efforts made to amend this continuing resolution, either in committee or on the floor of the Senate. Everything must all happen rapidly, since the current continuing funding resolution runs out on February 15.

Public Radio On Social Security Backlogs

Public radio's Marketplace show reported on January 29 on Social Security's incredible backlogs in adjudicating disability claims. Listen to the report on-line. Former Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart spoke to the reporter.

Astrue Nomination Committee Vote On January 31

The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled an executive session for January 31 to get organized, which presumably means making subcommittee assignments. The Committee has scheduled a few small items of business to be decided at the same executive session and the nomination of Michael Astrue to become the next Commissioner of Social Security is one of them. After the Finance Committee acts, the matter goes to the Senate floor.

New Funding Resolution Draft Coming Tonight -- Will SSA Avoid Furloughs?

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that Congressional leaders will release a draft continuing funding resolution tonight. Almost all of the federal government, including Social Security, is operating under a continuing funding resolution, rather than a budget. The current continuing funding resolution will expire on February 15. Congressional leaders have announced their intention to use a continuing funding resolution for the rest of the year, based largely upon the one which will expire on February 15. If unchanged, this continuing funding resolution would probably cause employee furloughs at Social Security. The question is whether Social Security will get additional money.