St. Louis Post Dispatch On Backlogs

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

Mark Denny's disability hearing took place Monday at the Social Security Administration office in Creve Coeur. An administrative judge was there, as were lawyers and Mr. Denny's mother and sister.

Mark Denny himself wasn't there. He died on Jan. 24, 2006 — two weeks after being told he wasn't sick enough to collect federal disability insurance, and shortly after he decided to appeal.

His case isn't unusual, though most clients don't die during the average 486 days it takes from the time a disability appeal is filed with the Social Security Administration in St. Louis until a hearing can be held. It takes even longer in Kansas City: 684 days.

The problem isn't caused by lazy civil servants. The judges who preside over disability appeals face a crushing caseload, as do the Social Security employees who process the paperwork. Federal funding for their agency hasn't kept pace with demographics. Aging baby boomers have now reached their 50s and 60s. That's the age range of most people who file federal disability claims.

DDS Administrators Letter On I-Appeals

A letter that went out recently to Disability Determination Service administrators:

Policy Instruction

Identification Number DDSAL 750 Effective Date: 12/12/2007
Intended Audience: State Disability Determination Services Administrators
Originating Office: DCO ODD
Title: iAppeals Notice Language- ACTION
Type: DDS Administrators' Letters

Program: Disability
Link To Reference:

The purpose of this Disability Determination Services (DDS) Administrators’ Letter is to announce national rollout of Internet Appeals (iAppeals) on 12/22/07. DDSs need to modify certain disability determination denial notices to explain that appeals can now be requested on the Internet. The Disability Processing Branches (DPB) and Flexible Disability Unit (FDU) in the Processing Centers will be notified via an e-mail to the MIDAS User Group (MUG). It will indicate the implementation date that the notices will be modified with the necessary language found in this DDS Administrators letter. No additional action is necessary for the DPB/FDU components.

Background:

Since 12/1/03, some members of the public have been able to complete and submit the SSA-3441 Disability Report – Appeal online (i3441). Effective 12/22/07, members of the public will also be able to complete and electronically submit the Request for Reconsideration (i561) and the Request for Review by Administrative Law Judge online. Additionally, on 12/22/07, the URL currently reflected on the notices will redirect users to the Welcome page of iAppeals. The Welcome page will solicit information to determine if a SSA-561 or SSA-501 applies and will link the user to the appropriate form.

Instructions for modifying notices

Beginning no earlier than 12/22/07, all DDSs should include the revised language for iAppeals in the Notice of Disapproved Claim and Notice of Reconsideration for disability determination denials. Notices should be revised no later than 12/19/07. The notices that need revision are:...

Please advise your regional office of your completed actions by COB December 19, 2007. If you have any questions, please direct them to your regional office.

/s/
Ruby Burrell
Associate Commissioner
for Disability Determinations


cc:
All Regional Commissioners
Directors, Centers for Disability

Status Of Appropriations

From The Hill:

Democratic leaders hope to finish the 11 annual spending bills over the weekend and vote on an omnibus package early next week.

At a press conference Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sketched a tentative schedule for legislation funding the government next year.

“Right now we’re engaged in a four-way negotiation on what the bill will be,” said Pelosi, in reference to talks between Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, House Democrats and House Republicans. “And we will wait and see what emerges from that, and I hope it would be soon.”

“We would love to have it up on the Internet over the weekend and in the Rules Committee on Monday and on the floor on Tuesday,” said Pelosi of the omnibus. “That is our hope.” ...

Democrats have also floated the possibility of adding $3.7 billion in emergency spending for veterans’ healthcare.

“I think there’s a lot of rumors and a lot of discussion out there,” said Perino, when asked whether the president might accept added funding for veterans. “And the president has said his number is $933 billion, and we’ll see what they come up with.”

Obama On Disability Backlogs

From a press release issued by the Obama campaign, containing promises on what Barack Obama will do for the disabled if he is elected president:

Streamline the current application and appeals processes to reduce the unacceptable delays experienced by individuals applying for Social Security disability benefits, and ensure that the SSA has the funding it needs to hire additional judges and staff and to invest in technology to expedite final decisions ...

I am sorry, but the word "streamline" in the same sentence with the words "Social Security disability" gives me hives.

Bomb Threat In Florida

From NBC-2 in Fort Myers:

The sheriff's office is investigating a bomb threat at the Social Security Office on US 41 East.

According to authorities, a woman called in the threat at 9:49 a.m. Thursday.

She reportedly said she was not happy with the service she received at the office so she was going to blow it up.

The sheriff's office is investigating the incident, but managers at the Social Security Office have decided to go forward with business as usual.

No evacuations have been ordered and the office is open.

Editorial In Virginian-Pilot

From the Virginian-Pilot, a newspaper in the southeastern corner of Virginia:

According to a piece in Monday’s New York Times, the appeals process for Social Security disability cases has been so bogged down — because there aren’t enough judges, essentially — that Americans are dying, losing their houses or being forced into financial ruin before the government decides their cases. ...

The people waiting for the judges to decide are already so sick that they can’t work. Some have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Some will die while they wait. Others will go bankrupt. All to save a few bucks by refusing money to those who deserve it, who most need it.

Knoxville TV Station On Backlogs And Foreclosure

WATE in Knoxville is running a story on Tony Grindstaff, who has rheumatoid arthritis and who may be about to lose his home because it has taken so long for him to get a hearing on his Social Security disability claim. He has been selling off his assets to survive. (That name, Grindstaff, is so perfectly Dickensian!) Read the written article or view the video.

Astrue As Stickler

These copies of e-mail traffic came in over the transom. I cannot completely vouch for them, but they appear to be genuine:

From: xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 4:57 PM
To: #DCS Front Office Management; #DCS AC Admin Staffs
Cc: #DCS Executive Officers
Subject: FW: Use of "Impact" as a verb
Importance: High

Please share with appropriate staff.

______________________________________________
From: xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 12:05 PM
To: #DCHR Exec Officers; #DCHR FO All; #DCHR ESS All
Cc: #DCHR Exec Staff; ^DCHR Controls
Subject: FW: Use of "Impact" as a verb
Importance: High

To Executive Officers: Please ensure that the below preference is
shared with analysts in your component. Thanks!

______________________________________________
From: xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:21 AM
To: xxxxxxxx; ^DCBFM Controls; xxxxxxxx;
xxxxxxxx; ^DCHR Controls; xxxxxxxx; ^DCLCA Controls

Cc: xxxxxxxxx
Subject: FW: Use of "Impact" as a verb
Importance: High

Please see xxxxx's email below regarding the Commissioner's preference
and pass this on to your components. The Commissioner does not accept
usage of the word "impact" as a verb regarding people. Please do not
forward correspondence to OC for his signature used in that manner. I'm
attaching some recent examples.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks.

xxxxxxxxx
Senior Executive Analyst
Office of the Commissioner
Office of Executive Operations
______________________________________________
From: xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 11:53 AM
To: #HQ OC OEO Analysts
Subject: Use of "Impact" as a verb

Commissioner Astrue has indicated on several occasions that the word
"impact" should not appear in SSA correspondence as a verb.
Unfortunately it keeps coming up in letters for his signature. Please
share with your components that they should not use it as a verb and
that if they substitute affect/effect. Affect is a verb and effect is a
noun.