Fed Chairman Calls For Social Security Cuts

From Huffington Post:

Ben Bernanke [Chairman of the Federal Reserve] has overseen the greatest expansion of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet in its history, pouring trillions of dollars into Wall Street firms at roughly zero interest rates.

His generosity, however, has a limit.

In testimony before the Senate Banking Committee today, where he's seeking re-appointment as the Fed's chairman, Bernanke called for cutbacks in Medicare and Social Security ...

Bernanke reminded Congress that it has the power to repeal Social Security and Medicare.

"It's only mandatory until Congress says it's not mandatory. And we have no option but to address those costs at some point or else we will have an unsustainable situation," said Bernanke.

Social Security Offices To Be Closed Christmas Eve

From Commissioner Astrue to Social Security employees:

A Message To All SSA Employees

Subject: Leave on December 24th

This has been an unbelievably challenging, yet remarkable, year for us. I am keenly aware of the impact that the nation's current economic situation has had on our workloads. Once again, you have stepped up to this challenge and continue to set the standard for public servants. In appreciation for your hard work and dedication, on December 24, 2009, I am excusing employees from work and closing all Social Security Administration offices for normal business. The excused absence will be handled in accordance with existing policy and applicable negotiated agreements. The Office of Personnel will issue detailed guidance to managers and timekeepers.

I am grateful for the work that you do and for your accomplishments. Enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done and the additional time to be with your family and friends during this holiday season.

Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner

ODAR Deputy Commissioner Broadcast

Here is a copy of the December 3, 2009 Office of Disability Adjudication and Review Deputy Commissioner Broadcast. Click on each page to see it full size. A few highlights:

• This past month, we reduced the disability backlog by 3,399 cases, putting us at 8,337 below the FY 2010 opening pending of 722,822. We have now reduced the disability backlog 11 months in a row. We are fortunate, however, that receipts have been well below the projections, 11% below in October and 6% below in November.
• This fiscal year, we expect to replace all of our staff losses and hire approximately 1,300 additional employees ...
• On November 20, our first class of ALJs for FY 2010 was sworn in at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C. Congressman Earl Pomeroy delivered the keynote speech. By bringing on board 43 ALJs and 8 AAJs, we are on our way to increasing our ALJ corps to 1,450 by the end of the fiscal year.
• We have updated the ODAR map that shows our new hearing offices, satellite offices, and National Hearing Centers, plus the hearing sites scheduled to open during FY 2010. To view the map, visit http://odar.ba.ssa.gov/odarweb/DCDAR/ODARmap.pdf. [This is either a bad link in the original or only available to those inside the firewall at Social Security. I think that people on the outside would be interested in seeing this.]
  
• We have completed the FY 2009 fourth quarter reports for the Hearing Backlog Reduction Update booklets. We distributed to each member of Congress a booklet describing the progress we have made in their respective districts. To view these booklets, visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/appeals/congressional-booklets.html.

Anything For Social Security?

The Hill reports that Democrats in Congress are in the early stages of developing a jobs creation bill that might be as much as $300 billion. Since Social Security got major funding in the last jobs bill, I hope Social Security is trying to get something out of this new bill.

Killing Off DSI

Former Social Security Commissioner Barnhart had a grand plan for resolving all the problems in disability determination at Social Security. It was called Disability Service Improvement or DSI. There were just a couple of problems with DSI. It made no sense. It did not work when implemented. It quickly became obvious that DSI would not last once Barnhart was replaced by Michael Astrue, the current Commissioner. However, some parts of DSI have continued in Social Security's Boston region. Social Security will publish proposed regulations in the Federal Register tomorrow to officially and finally kill off DSI.

Does anyone know how much money was wasted on DSI? Many people in high places at Social Security talked glowingly about the wonders of DSI while Barnhart was Commissioner. Did they really believe what they were saying?

Child Conceived By IVF Gets Benefits In Iowa

From KCRG:

A federal judge has ruled that a girl born almost two years after her father died of leukemia is entitled to the man's Social Security benefits.

A judge ruled that 6-year-old Brynn Beeler can collect Social Security survivor benefits. The girl was conceived through in vitro fertilization.

Waiting In Bakersfield

From a piece in The Bakersfield Californian written by John Tello, a local attorney who represents Social Security disability claimants:

A hearing is scheduled in April 2010 for a Bakersfield woman who has been waiting since 2006 to get approval for Social Security disability benefits. That's right, four years.

My client, who suffered a serious work-related injury, was initially denied benefits in October 2006. Her application has gone through the process of reconsideration, denial, request for hearing, denial and appeal of denial. Finally, she has been granted the April hearing. While her disabilities are serious, it is a good thing they are not fatal. Otherwise, Social Security could have waited her out, allowing death to resolve the matter.

Regrettably, that is what often happens. And with a recent spike in the number of disability applications pouring into Social Security offices, the tragic consequences of long-delayed decisions are growing

Can't Get Through In Fort Worth

From the Fort Worth, Texas Star Telegram:

With his 65th birthday approaching, Eric Martin of Arlington knew it was time to sign up for Medicare. Thirty phone calls, countless busy signals and an office visit later, he still couldn’t get the help he needed. ...

To get the ball rolling, Martin had called a national toll-free number listed on a document he received in the mail from the Social Security Administration. He was then given the phone number to its Mid-Cities field office in Grand Prairie.

That’s when the process ground to a halt.

Martin began calling the during the first week of September, with no luck.

By Sept. 24, Martin said, he had called about 30 times without getting through. So he went to the office, only to find it packed with people waiting to be seen. One person was being helped every 30 minutes, he said. By his calculation, that meant he would not be seen until the next day. ...

Nationally, more than 3 million people had a wait of more than an hour at field offices, the GAO [Government Accountability Office] said, citing the Social Security Administration but noting that it had not validated its data.

GAO also reported that more than half the people who call field offices get busy signals. ...

An employee there who would identify herself only as Miss Rojas told the Star-Telegram that the number of workers tending the phones depends on the line of people inside the building.

But Charlie Brittian, project manager for the administration’s Regional Public Affairs team, has a different take.

"We answer the phone all day long," she said and noted that the Mid-Cities office has 52 employees.

She said Martin’s experience is not common at the Mid-Cities office. The average wait time this year for individuals without appointments, like Martin, has been 35.6 minutes, Brittian said. Individuals with appointments averaged a wait of 4.8 minutes, she said.

Brittian also said the Mid-Cities office has a policy of returning calls that day, or, if necessary, the next morning.

Martin disagreed.

"That’s stupid," he said. "You don’t even get a recording, so how can they call back?"

I have said it before. We will know that Social Security field offices are adequately staffed when they are able to dispense with secret telephone numbers which are supposed to be used only by family and friends of Social Security employees and by higher ups at Social Security who need to reach the office by telephone. Contrary to the opinion of many Social Security field office employees this is not a normal situation. Few businesses need private numbers like this so.