More From The Pacific Northwest

From The Oregonian:

You have a good job, you're buying your own home, you've accumulated a life savings for retirement or to pay for the kids' college educations.

And then you get sick. Really sick. ...

You apply for Social Security disability. It's not a handout; you're asking for your own money -- money you've been contributing with every paycheck you received, through the FICA tax that's been withheld.

And you get denied. ...

That's what happens to 69.6 percent of the people in Oregon who apply for Social Security disability. They're denied the first time they apply.

So they make a "reconsideration request." And in Oregon, 90.3 percent of those people are denied.

The next step is to ask for a hearing. And the average wait in Portland for a Social Security disability hearing?

It's 668 days. ...

In a single year, says Portland attorney Richard Sly, 15 of his clients died waiting for a hearing after their applications for SSI disability had been twice rejected. ...

When applicants finally do get hearings, the majority are granted benefits. Why are so many rejected at first? No one can explain.

Delays In Pacific Northwest

From the Spokesman-Review (registration required):

The first members of the huge baby boom generation are beginning to file applications for Social Security retirement benefits. Those not old enough to file for retirement are in their disability-prone years, and record numbers are applying for disability benefits at Social Security offices like the ones in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene.

However, while faced with these growing workloads, the SSA is being starved of the funding and front-line employees needed to provide the high level of service that American workers have paid for, expect and deserve. Both applicants and taxpayers are being seriously harmed.

Social Security will collect $150 billion more in taxes than it will pay out in benefits this year, so why isn't there enough money to properly run the programs? The reason is that the agency's annual administrative budget must be authorized as part of the Labor-Health and Human Services spending bill, and the president has vetoed the bill passed by Congress for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Eastern Washington's U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Doc Hastings are the only members of the state's congressional delegation who voted against the bill and to sustain the president's veto. The 435-member House was just two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto. ...

Service deterioration affects access to service by telephone. It is getting much more difficult to get through on the agency's toll-free number, and more than half of the callers to SSA field offices now get a busy signal. It is projected in the upcoming year the Spokane District (Spokane and Coeur d' Alene) will be understaffed seven to eight bodies, and without the requested budget here in the Spokane/CDA area we will be impacted dramatically. Backlogs will occur and phones will go unanswered as other parts of the nation are already experiencing.

Interesting Letter About DOT

The CONNECT Board has posted a very interesting letter from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the Department of Labor. What's that? You can't imagine an interesting letter from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Take a look at it. It ought to rock the Social Security Administration's world. If you don't understand why this should rock Social Security's world, well, you're not a Social Security disability professional.

Latest On Budget

From The Hill:

Congressional Republican leaders are split over how much backing they will give to President Bush in his fiscal fight with the Democrats.

The House GOP, keen to reconnect with what many regard as lost Republican principles of fiscal restraint and small government, has supported the president’s attack on Democratic spending plans. In the Senate, however, GOP leaders have mixed feelings. ...

The proposal is a compromise floated by Democrats who cut their spending proposals [from $22 billion over the President's recommended budget to $11 billion over] in order to reach a bipartisan agreement.

The highest-ranking House Republican leaders, Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.), have slammed the peace offering.
...

[Senator Minority Leader Mitch] McConnellm has taken a more circumspect stance.

At a press conference Monday, he expressed interest in seeing an omnibus bill passed.

“Obviously we don’t have any consuming desire to be here until Christmas Eve,” he said. “We’re working on it.”

New OMB Item

All new federal regulations must be approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Below is a notice that OMB posted today on its website concerning a rule they have been asked to approve.

AGENCY: SSA	RIN: 0960-AG40
TITLE: Methods for Conducting Personal Conference When Waiver of Recovery of Title II or Title XVI Overpayment Cannot Be Approved (3320P)
STAGE: Final Rule	ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: No
** RECEIVED DATE: 12/04/2007	LEGAL DEADLINE: None

Michigan Social Security Section Issues Newsletter

The Michigan State Bar Social Security Section has issued its Fall 2007 newsletter.

Appropriations Status

From the Capitol Insider, published by Disability Policy Collaboration:

As the third month of FY [fiscal year] 2008 starts, the Congress and the White House have been able to agree on only one of a dozen FY 2008 appropriations bills (the Department of Defense appropriations bill). The funding showdown between the Congress and the President continues. Thus far, the White House has refused to negotiate compromises since it believes the Congress will be unable to override any of the President’s vetoes of appropriations bills (one override vote has already failed). The House and Senate Democratic leadership has already offered to split the difference between the $23 billion spending impasse, but the White House remains silent on a deal. One possible key to breaking the stalemate would be to link emergency spending for the Iraq war with a huge omnibus appropriations bill. As of today, there is no schedule for specific action on any appropriations bill. Future funding for all disability programs hang on the upcoming decisions.

I know that this is awfully vague, but everyone else is reporting the same vagueness and uncertainty.

Athens Messenger On Social Security Backlogs

From the Athens, Ohio Messenger:

Problems with a government safety net continue to worsen, threatening the physical and financial health of millions of Americans, including residents of Athens County, according to a report issued by the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services. ... "It's been an issue for years, and absolutely is a nationwide problem," said Jack Frech, executive director of the county agency. According to the agency's report, backed up by statistics from Social Security Administration, of the 2.5 million people who file disability claims annually, nearly two-thirds initially are denied. However, about 60 percent of those who seek to appeal the rejection eventually are approved for benefits - but typically have to wait 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years during a lengthy appeals process. In the meantime, those appealing the initial decision often face serious issues from the lack of medical coverage and little or no income. Often, they experience home foreclosures and/or bankruptcies, addiction and/or depression, even deteriorating health problems, the report claims.