Bristol Office To Stay Open

From a press release issued by Congressman John Larson:

Connecticut Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) are thrilled to announce that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has decided to keep the Bristol field office open for at least another year. The SSA had threatened to close the office last year, sending thousands of local seniors to New Britain for their Social Security needs. During the year, the SSA will continue to review the need for the Bristol office.

The Social Security Administration cited in letters to the Congressional delegation today, that adequate funding for 2008 is one of the key reasons they will keep the office open. The entire delegation fought to increase funding for the SSA in appropriations legislation so that it could better serve the people of Connecticut and the entire country.

Budget Markup Coming Tomorrow

The House Budget Committee will be marking up its version of the concurrent budget resolution for fiscal year 2009, which begins on October 1, 2008, on March 5. The concurrent budget resolution does not give any agency any money. The appropriations bills do that. The budget resolution sets general guidelines for the appropriations process. A markup session is an opportunity for committee members to propose changes in the budget resolution, but that begs the question of what the Budget Committee will use as a starting point. We can expect to see a "chairman's mark," a version of the budget resolution prepared by the House Budget Committee chairman, John Spratt, to use as a starting point for the markup session.

Mayors Want Investigation

From the Valley Independent of Pennsylvania:

A group of Mon Valley mayors has demanded an investigation into the decision to move the Social Security office from Charleroi to Rostraver Township.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, 11 mayors agree that relocation to WillowPointe Plaza, off Route 51, will create a "huge hardship" on senior citizens. ...

"As the political leaders of our communities, we are very concerned about GSA's decision to relocate the Mon Valley Social Security office to WillowPointe. This location is not accessible to our constituents," the letter stated.

Attorney Advisor Rules Adopted Without Change

The Social Security Administration published final rules for the program that allows some attorney advisors employed by the agency to issue fully favorable decisions after claimants request a hearing. Previously, the program had been operating under interim rules.

Putting It In Perspective

Nobel Economics Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, quoted in Mother Jones: "For somewhere between a half and quarter of the cost of the war in Iraq you could have fixed all the problems associated with Social Security for the next 75 years and still have had a lot left over."

Another View On The Backlogs

From an article in Government Executive on the February 28 House Appropriations Committee hearing:

Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., questioned whether SSA was creating an incentive for most claimants to appeal state-level denials for disability benefits, increasing the caseloads for judges. Weldon pointed to the fact that they award disability benefits in 62 percent of the appeals they hear. "We've created an industry to appeal these claims," Weldon said. "Are we feeding a monster?"

What Were They Thinking?

From the March 2008 issue of Unity, the newsletter of Council 220 of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents about 25,000 employees of the Social Security Administration:

A plan to charge $15.00 for each Social Security benefit verification came to an immediate halt recently when Union officials learned about the idea. A sign had been placed on the front door of the Foothill branch office in Oakland, Calif. It stated the fee would take effect in January, but Health and Safety Representa-tive Howard Egerman saw the no-tice and reported it to other Union members. Unfortunately by that time the practice had become widespread and signs had been posted in offices around the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

Dana Duggins, the third Vice President of AFGE Council 220, soon learned about the scheme and immediately wrote to SSA Com-missioner Michael Astrue.

“Before you knew it, the signs had come down,” Duggins said, “but I’d still like to know who put them up in the first place and whether anyone was ever charged. If they were, it was an illegal practice that has to be dealt with and those claimants surely have to be reimbursed.”

The agency’s own regulations state benefit verifications will be provided free to the public, and Duggins says that raises two other questions.

Radio Interview With Linda Fullerton

Linda Fullerton, the founder of the Social Security Disability Coalition, an organization of Social Security disability claimants, was interviewed for the Disability News and Views radio show. You can listen to the interview online.