Oops!

     Social Security is now requiring that attorneys and others who represent Social Security claimants file appeals for their clients electronically if they want to receive direct payment of fees. To help educate everyone on how to file appeals online, Social Security sent out invitations to a "Webinar" today.

     I have heard from several attorneys who tried to access the "Webinar." They all say that they were not allowed to join the "Webinar."
     Update at 2:15 P.M. EST: I just tried to join the Webinar. I was able to but the video feed keeps hanging up.

If You Wonder What It's Like Representing Social Security Claimants

     A couple of months ago I advised a client who explicitly said he was disabled by psychiatric illness to get in psychiatric treatment. A month ago I called to see if he had done so. He told me that he hadn't gotten around to it yet. I restrained myself from asking why his busy schedule as a disabled person did not allow him time to get around to this. I just encouraged him to make the call. I checked back with him recently. Again, he said that he hadn't gotten around to it. Again, I encouraged him to get in treatment. Although he deserved it, I still did not inquire about why he couldn't find time to get in treatment. I just talked about the importance of psychiatric treatment to his case and to his life in general. He then told me that he had no intention of getting in psychiatric treatment because "I've been trying to get on Social Security disability for five years and I know very well what's disabling me." When I responded that the five year time he had been trying to get on Social Security suggested to me that he should try a new tack, he said he needed a different attorney. I told him, "Fine, I'll withdraw from representing you."

I Hadn't Heard This One Before

     I thought I had heard all of the criticisms of Social Security that there were but I was wrong. John Carney at CNBC digs up the very old criticism that Social Security leads inevitably to population decline because people will have fewer children because they will not feel the need to have children to support them in their old age. And I thought that the introduction of "The Pill" was the cause of the decline in fertility rates in the 1960s!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

     A new Harris poll shows that only 12% of Americans want to cut Social Security. All Republican candidates for President endorse cuts in Social Security.

Major Increase In Fee Payments In March

     These are Social Security's numbers on payments of fees to attorneys and others for representing claimants before the agency. These payments are not an expense of the Social Security Administration. They come out of the back benefits of the claimants involved. This is a useful analog to show the speed at which Social Security is able to pay claimants after they are approved for benefits. A slowdown in these fees means a slowdown in getting claimants on benefits and a speedup in these payments means a speedup in getting claimants paid.

Fee Payments 2011 Month/Year Volume Amount Jan-11 34,467 $113,459,847.04 Feb-11 33,305 $107,796,771.38 Mar-11 34,885 $112,463,768.46 Apr-11 48,033 $153,893,755.37 May-11 36,479 $115,159012.77 June-11 33,568 $104,782,743.07 July-11 40,451 $123,981,011.36 Aug-11 35,575 $109,778,785.74 Sept-11 36,159 $109,990,042.36 Oct-11 27,269 $79,526,149.33 Nov-11 32,677 $100,272,851.46 Dec-11 38,447 $116,455,779.92
	2012
Jan-12	29,926	89,749,312.99
Feb-12	43,946	134,207,416.10

How Is She Supposed To Correct This?

     From WCNC:

Audrey Curry is a man, at least that’s what Social Security thinks. ...

Audrey was born a woman, she was married three times and her husbands’ will all vouch for her femininity.  Her kids, all four of them, know she’s a she, and her grandkids know Audrey as grandma, with an emphasis on the ‘ma.’

The only people who seem to be confused about the difference between men and women are the hims and hers at Social Security.

The “he” mistake happened back in 1985 during a marriage and a name change.  It only came to light now because Audrey qualifies for Medicare disability, coverage she says she needs.

“It’ll hold up my coverage, because when I go down there they say that my card says male, but I’m a female,” Curry said.  “I can’t get treated.”

All of her official documents say “she.”  But Social Security told Audrey it’s up to her to fix their mistake.

“Just say I am sorry, but no, they get snotty and say you have to go correct it. I don’t stand for that,” Curry added.

When NewsChannel 36 called Social Security’s regional office in Atlanta, they said this rarely happens and they said, “We will fix this for her.”  ...

Social Security Moving Towards Awarding Contracts For Occupational Information System

     This was posted yesterday on FedBizOpps.gov (and the question marks are in the original):

This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. It is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations and in no way obligates the Government to award a contract.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA) is to identify potential vendors that are capable of assisting in researching and performing job analysis data collection and developing a comprehensive Occupational Information System (OIS). SSA is also seeking feedback from industry on processes under consideration. The information provided in response to this RFI will be used in SSA?s market research efforts and procurement planning purposes which include:? The availability and capability of potential sources;

? Assistance with appropriate acquisition strategy (e.g., one procurement for all requirements or more than one procurement based on specialty skills).

? The best methodologies and processes to use to accomplish our goals

      There's an "interested vendors" list that has only one name on it at the moment but that list will surely grow.

More On Possible Union Contract

     More on the possible new union contract for Social Security, from the Federal Times:

... [S]everal key subjects still have to be hammered out. AFGE [American Federation of Government Employees] said provisions covering merit promotions, teleworking and performance appraisals are still being negotiated and must be written into the contract by the end of June. ...

Monthly transit benefits, now $60, will increase to $70 in the contract's first year, $80 in its second year, and $90 in its fourth year, said Witold Skwierczynski, who led negotiations for AFGE.

The current $50 benefit for eye exams and up to $175 for eyeglasses will increase to $65 for an exam and $200 for glasses, he said.

Skwierczynski also said employees will get more rights to union representation when meeting with SSA managers. For example, the contract will require managers to orally remind employees that they have the right to union representation when they're called into a discussion that might lead to disciplinary action. Currently, SSA only has to publish a notice once a year on those rights, Skwierczynski said.

And the agreement contains language that says SSA will not tolerate bullying from managers. Skwierczynski said that gives the union "a foot in the door" to file grievances against managers who allegedly bully their employees.