Federal Managers Association On Social Security Budget

A press release from the Federal Managers Association:

CONGRESS SERVES THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION YET ANOTHER FUNDING BLOW

Meager increase in funding over FY07 level will do nothing to eliminate growing backlog of disability cases

Alexandria, VA – Representing the managers and supervisors in the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), the Federal Managers Association (FMA) is extremely disappointed in the level of funding provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for SSA administrative expenses.

In his FY08 budget request, the President proposed $9.597 billion for SSA Limitation on Administrative Expenses. While this is an increase from his FY07 proposal, and far greater than Congress appropriated for FY07, it still falls short of the SSA Commissioner’s request and prevents the agency from meeting its backlog challenges. Before the end of her six year term, Commissioner Barnhart developed a Service Delivery Budget through 2012 to provide a framework for making decisions on needed improvements in service delivery and fiscal stewardship, and the requisite staffing to accomplish both. The Commissioner proposed $10.44 billion for administrative expenses for FY08.

Previously, Congress approved $10.1 billion in SSA salaries and expenses for fiscal year 2008 in the Budget Resolution; an amount which would allow the agency to tackle the growing disability claims backlog. However, today, the House Appropriations Committee approved only $100 million in funding for SSA administrative expenses over the President’s request. In June, the Senate Appropriations Committee went slightly further and allocated $125 million above the budget request.

“We at FMA believe that the $10.1 billion in funding agreed to in the budget resolution will allow the agency to fulfill its mission in serving the American people. SSA needs the additional funds to address the severe backlog in disability hearing requests,” commented FMA National President Darryl Perkinson in a letter to the House Appropriations Committee last month. “The President’s request is insufficient as the number of disability claims pending, as well as the average time to process those claims, will rise if the President’s request is appropriated.”

Currently, in the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, there exists a backlog of over 745,110 requests for a hearing, an increase of 433,152 requests since the start of fiscal year 2000. With the meager increase over fiscal year 2007 funding levels, SSA will only be able to replace roughly 1,000 of the 4,000 employees lost in the last three years. The funding provided by Congress will slow the rapid growth of the backlog; however, it will not allow the agency to begin work on wrestling with this problem.

“The solution to the problem is simple – more staff will allow SSA to deliver its services to the American people in the best possible manner,” continued Perkinson. “However, this cannot be done without adequate funding from Congress. The programs administered by SSA provide benefits to more than 50 million Americans. We, at FMA, believe that the level of funding proposed by the Appropriations Committees falls too short of the mark for SSA to serve its customers efficiently.”

House Appropriations Committee Press Release

Below is part of the House Appropriation Committee's press release on the funding bill it reported out today that covers Social Security:

Social Security Administration (SSA). The bill provides $9.7 billion for the administrative expenses of SSA, a $401 million or 4.3 percent increase over fiscal year 2007 and $100 million above the President’s request in nominal dollars. In real terms, however, the increase is just $221 million or 2.4 percent over last year’s level. SSA provides monthly cash benefits to nearly 55 million Americans each year, and the increase will help to improve processing times for initial disability claims and hearings, which have increased in recent years. It will also help to reduce the backlog of disability cases as well as allow SSA to process additional disability reviews and SSI eligibility determinations.

I am hearing reports that this may come up on the floor of the House of Representatives within the next week.

House Apprppriations Committee Mark Up

I was not able to watch it, but I am told that the House Appropriations Committee did not add any additional money for Social Security's budget in the bill they have reported out. In their bill, Social Security is at about $100 million over the President's recommendation, but still hundreds of millions of dollars below what the agency says it needs.

Budget Markup Today

The House Appropriations Committee marks up the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, which includes the Social Security Administration, today at 10:00. The markup session is available in streaming video.

AARP Lobbies For Social Security Budget

I have suggested in the past that the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) seems to have only a limited interest in what happens at the Social Security Administration. Despite having a high degree of influence they have mostly seemed to be missing in action when it comes to any issue other than Social Security funding -- and they mumble on that issue.

In fairness, I must say that the National Journal is reporting that the AARP is lobbying for more funds for Social Security. It is good to see AARP paying attention to something other than selling insurance. I hope they have some influence.

Social Security To Spend Money On "Disability Mentoring Day"

A contracting notice published by the Social Security Administration:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) intends to award a sole source purchase order to the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), located at 1629 K Street NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20006-1634 to provide consultative services that will assist SSA in its outreach efforts during the 2007 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). The DMD is commemorated on the third Wednesday of every October. DMD is a large-scale effort designed to promote career development for students and other job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, job shadowing, internship or employment opportunities, and matching of mentee/mentor relationships. AAPD is a nonprofit organization that is familiar with SSA's target population and can provide the personnel, materials, services, and equipment necessary to assure the success of SSA's outreach efforts during DMD. SSA believes that AAPD is the only source qualified to meet our needs. This notice is for informational purposes only and is neither a request for quotation nor an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation. Interested parties that believe they are capable of providing these services can submit a capability statement to Tonya Saunders via e-mail at tonya.saunders@ssa.gov no later than 2:00 p.m. EST, July 12, 2007. The Government will consider all information from responsible sources, but a determination by the Government not to compete this action is solely at the discretion of the Government.

Let me guess that the American Association of People with Disabilities has some friends in high places. Otherwise, I cannot explain why an agency strapped for funds would spend good money on such frippery. This has nothing to do with Social Security's mission, which is to pay cash benefits to certain people. Social Security is not in the disability mentoring business.

Bill On SSI For Certain Immigrants To Move Forward

From the Capitol Insider put out by the Disability Policy Collaboration:

The House will consider the SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act, H.R. 2608, on the suspension calendar on Wednesday. Sponsored by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), the bill would extend the eligibility for Supplemental Security Income for 2 additional years for certain refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian immigrants who have applications for naturalization pending. Under current law, the limit on receipt of SSI is 7 years for those who have not become citizens, but the backlogs in processing naturalization case have made it difficult for many to be processed within the time limit. The bill would temporarily allow a 2-year extension of SSI benefits from Fiscal Year 2008 through 2010. Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) has sponsored a related bill in the Senate, S. 821.

No Match Letters May Gain Importance

Greg Siskind has an important blog on immigration law. He is reporting that the Department of Homeland Security will soon publish a regulation telling employers that they cannot ignore a "no-match" letter from Social Security notifying them that the name and Social Security number of one of their employees do not match. The employer will be considered to be in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act if they do not resolve the issue within certain time limits. If true, this would put the Social Security Administration in a place that it does not want to be -- in the forefront of the battle against illegal immigration. If nothing else, it would create plenty of business for Social Security when many women who never got around to it in the past have to suddenly notify Social Security that their names changed when they got married. This is not what Social Security's understaffed field offices need.