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Social Security Has A Budget -- Finally

Congressional Quarterly reports that Congress has finally passed and sent to the President a budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, which began on October 1, 2008, over five months ago. Most of the government has been operating on a continuing funding resolution which kept it going at the rate for FY 2008. The bill gives Social Security $10.5 billion. Even after the election, advocacy groups had been hoping for only $10.4 billion! And this is on top of the special appropriation of $500 million for reducing the backlogs included in the economic stimulus package.

Let the hiring begin in earnest.

Initial And Recon Allowance Rates 2008

Courtesy of the Social Security Forum, published by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR), here are the initial and reconsideration allowance rates by state for Social Security disability claims in fiscal year (FY) 2008. Click on each page to see it full size.

By the way, NOSSCR did not publish a hearing backlog report this month.

New Scam

From KIDK in Idaho Falls, ID:

The Better Business Bureau has had a few calls about this scam. It starts with a letter, supposedly from the government, that says you're going to get a check for one thousand dollars. However, before you get it, you'll need to verify your information and how you want to get that money; whether you want to receive it monthly, quarterly, or so on. But, don't fall for this.

Post Mortem Apology

From the Charlotte Observer:

In the final months of his life, Darrin Nelson struggled to pay for his Charlotte apartment and groceries as he battled the effects of AIDS.

He had applied for Social Security disability benefits after he became too sick to work, but government assistance never arrived.

Officials ruled him eligible for cash assistance in February, nearly a month after he died.

Now the Social Security Administration is apologizing for not acting sooner and has promised to give the money Nelson deserved to his mother. ...

Federal officials began looking into Nelson's case last month after they were contacted by the newspaper. Three days later, they awarded Nelson benefits, a Social Security spokeswoman said this week.

Fee Payment Stats

Below are updated statistics on payments of fees to attorneys and others for representing claimants before the Social Security Administration:

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-09	28,423	$101,128,880.69
Feb-09	31,352	$112,791,207.17

AFGE Details Complaints Against Astrue

The head of the union local that represents most Social Security employees has released a statement concerning the union's ongoing dispute with Michael Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. The statement was prepared on February 7, but is just now being released to the public by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). I have posted the entire statement on the Social Security Perspectives blog.

Here are some excerpts:

AFGE Local 1923 called for a rally on January 22, 2008 at Headquarters to protest the Commissioner’s actions to shut down the EAA [Employee Activities Association, which is at the heart of the angriest dispute between the union and Astrue] ...

On the day of the rally over 300 SSA employees were greeted by an overwhelming police presence. Commissioner Astrue had summoned police from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and contract guards. In addition, demonstrating SSA employees were greeted by police dogs. ...

Not only did SSA order scores of police to the rally but unidentified photographers, who apparently worked for either SSA or the police agencies, took pictures of the entire rally.

AFL-CIO Calls On Astrue To Resign

The AFL-CIO, of which the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is a member, is calling upon Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue, to resign. The AFGE represents most Social Security employees. Here are a couple of excerpt from the AFL-CIO Executive Council statement:

Current Commissioner Michael J. Astrue was appointed in 2006 for a six-year term that began in February 2007. Out of respect for the country’s decisive vote last fall against the Bush policies and for restoring government to its rightful focus on the people’s interests instead of the monied interests, Commissioner Astrue should resign.

Any sense of decency should have led him to submit his resignation by this time. If he continues to try to hold onto his job, the Obama Administration should seek his ouster.

... [D]espite assurances at his congressional confirmation hearing that he would improve labor relations at SSA, Commissioner Astrue has cut off all communication with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the Association of Administrative Law Judges/ International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (AALJ/IFPTE), and refuses to recognize AFGE and the AALJ/IFPTE as the exclusive representatives of many bargaining unit employees at SSA. He refuses to meet and discuss important work-related issues with AFGE and the AALJ/IFPTE, adversely affecting sound labor relations and employee morale.