No Webcast On House Appropriations Committee Hearing

The House Appropriations Committee website indicates that many of its hearings are available by webcast, but not all. Apparently, there is no webcast of today's hearing on Social Security's appropriation.

New Hearing On Compassionate Allowances

The Office of the Federal Register may have labeled it yesterday as a "proposed rule," but what came out today in the Federal Register is a notice of a new public hearing on "Compassionate Allowances," to be held on April 7 in Boston. Unlike last time, the public will be allowed to attend this hearing but only invited witnesses will be allowed to speak. There will be a live webcast.

Jail Time For Threat

The Boston Globe reports that a Rutland, VT man has been sentenced for telling a therapist that he was going to blow up a Social Security office.

$220 Million Contract For Paragon

From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Tri-S Security Corp. unit Paragon Systems has won a 10-year, $220 million contract from the U.S. Social Security Administration.

Atlanta-based Tri-S (NASDAQ: TRIS) said the contract period starts April 1 and it will provide about 500 guards, supervisors and administrators to the Social Security Administration's national headquarters and its national computer center. Both are in Woodlawn, Md.

Federal Register Item Coming

This is from the Documents on Public Inspection that are to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow. The full text is not available online; just this summary.

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

PROPOSED RULES

Compassionate Allowances for Cancers; Office of the Commissioner, Hearing, E8-03720 [SSA 2007-0053]

I do not know what the part about "Office of the Commissioner, Hearing" means.

Defendants Cry Entrapment

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Federal and state prosecutors rounded up 83 people last month and charged them with ripping off the Social Security Administration by falsely claiming benefit checks were lost, getting a replacement, then cashing both.

But defendants are crying foul, saying Social Security knew fully well they had cashed both checks, but for years treated it as a debt issue rather than a crime, according to court filings. The agency required recipients to pay it back, but took no other action until they were charged, the filings say.

In a rarely used legal argument called entrapment by estoppel, defense attorneys contend the government encouraged people to break the law and then charged them.

IRS To Send Rebate Info To Social Security Recipients

Social Security benefits recipients will receive rebates from the federal government this year only if they file tax returns. Normally, most Social Security benefits recipients do not have to file tax returns.

Commerce Clearing House is reporting that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be sending notices to recipients of Social Security benefits in late March warning of the need to file a tax return in order to receive the rebate check.

Social Security Offering 144 ALJ Jobs

A news release from Social Security:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that the agency has begun making offers to 144 of the 175 new Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) it will hire this fiscal year. Due to litigation and budget cuts, the agency has about ten percent fewer ALJs than it did a decade ago. During that same time, the number of cases waiting for a hearing decision has more than doubled.

“The hiring of these new ALJs is a critical step in our plan to reduce the backlog of disability cases,” Commissioner Astrue said. “They represent one of the largest investments in ALJs this agency has ever made. When these ALJs are fully-trained, and combined with the other steps we are taking, we will be able for the first time in this decade to reduce the number of cases waiting for a disability hearing. I can hardly wait for them to start.”

The new ALJs will be brought on board in phases with the first hires reporting for duty in April, when they will begin an intensive orientation and training program. While initially handling a reduced docket, newly hired ALJs should be scheduling a full docket of cases by the end of the year.

“I have been very impressed with the caliber of the candidates eager to take on the challenging role of a Social Security ALJ,” Commissioner Astrue noted. “These new ALJs are top-notch legally and comfortable working in an electronic environment, which is of utmost importance as we strive to increase the efficiency and productivity of our ALJ corps.”

Hiring of additional ALJs is only one component of the plan the agency has put in place to reduce the backlog of disability cases. The agency also continues to make progress in many other areas including opening the National Hearing Center, completing the nationwide roll-out of the Quick Disability Determination process, implementing compassionate allowances and eliminating aged cases. More information about Social Security’s plan is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability under the heading What’s New.

“In May of last year, I presented Congress with a detailed plan to reduce the backlog of disability cases,” Commissioner Astrue said. “I am pleased to report that, with the strong support of the President and Members of Congress from both parties, we have been able to move forward with that plan. I urge Congress to continue its support with timely action on the President’s fiscal year 2009 budget request for Social Security. A delay in fully funding the President’s request will undermine the many positive steps we have taken this year.”