Senators Press SSA To Assist VA

     From a Senate Finance Committee press release:

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today called on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reduce the dramatic backlog in veterans’ disability claims.  The senators wrote a letter to SSA in response to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which found SSA’s delays are major contributors to the backlog. ...

In their letter, the senators noted that VA has consistent problems getting the medical records it needs from SSA.  In one instance, regional VA officials commented that SSA takes more than a year to respond to requests.  The senators asked SSA to provide information on any changes it is currently making or plans to make in the future to resolve their delays.

The Problem With Direct Deposits Of Social Security Benefits

     From a summary of a report by Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG):

In October 2011, we began tracking allegations that indicated individuals other than the beneficiaries or their representatives had redirected benefit payments away from the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to accounts the individuals controlled. As of August 27, 2012, we had received over 18,000 reports concerning an unauthorized change or a suspected attempt to make an unauthorized change to an SSA beneficiary’s record. ...

Controls over direct deposit account changes were not fully effective and did not prevent field office staff from processing direct deposit account changes requested by someone other than the beneficiary or his/her authorized representative.

     OIG has only posted a summary of the report, perhaps out of concern that criminals might use the full report to come up with new methods of defeating Social Security's security processes.
     I fear this problem is only going to get worse with time. While it has been possible to have paper checks diverted, criminals always had the problem of negotiating the paper check after they stole it. With direct deposit, the negotiation problem is eliminated. Open a bank account online, divert money to it for one or two months, use a debit card to take the money or, if you're more sophisticated, divert the money overseas. Disappear. Repeat. There's little risk of being caught. No one's going to investigate each case that closely since only a few hundred dollars are involved.

Astrue Receives Award

     A Social Security press release:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, received a 2013 VIDA Award from the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), a science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States.  The national award honors leaders that exemplify the VIDA credo of Vision, Innovation, Dedication, and Advocacy.

"Commissioner Astrue's commitment to all communities has defined his life.  He is a man of principle and values that we respect and honor," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the Alliance.

The VIDA National Hispanic Health Leadership Award is presented by the Alliance to recognize exceptional leaders for their work to secure the best health outcomes for all.  Under his leadership, Social Security has reduced the average length of time applicants wait to receive a decision on their claim for Social Security disability benefits.  Key components to this reduction were his development and expansion of initiatives such as Compassionate Allowances and Quick Disability Determinations.  This two-part, fast-track system makes disability decisions in days instead of months or years and provides benefits quickly to applicants with the most severe disabilities.  In the last two years, nearly 300,000 people have been awarded disability benefits under these innovative initiatives.

Commissioner Astrue received the award at the Alliance’s 40th Anniversary celebration, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Have To Ask The Question

     If it's a form of discrimination for an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to deny disability claims because claimants have received unemployment insurance benefits, why is it that Social Security provides information to ALJs showing which claimants have been receiving unemployment insurance benefits?

Stay Classy AFGE

     From the Federal Times:

 “I’m pleased that [Astrue's] leaving,” said Witold Skwierczynski, president of the union council that includes SSA [Social Security Administraton] locals, said in a phone interview. In a letter to the White House earlier this month, Skwiercyznski said, the union asked Obama to name either SSA Deputy Commissioner Carolyn Colvin or Nancy Altman, co-director of the advocacy group Social Security Works, as the next commissioner.

     This is the first that I've heard of AFGE expressing an interest in Carolyn Colvin becoming Commissioner. I doubt that the union would have a problem with James Roosevelt or Earl Pomeroy, the other announced candidates for the job, but their names aren't mentioned.

Gave It A Try But Struck Out

     It looks like Social Security lobbied to get an additional appropriation for itself in the $51 billion Hurricane Sandy supplemental appropriation bill but struck out. The agency did get permission to transfer $2 million (page 18) from the special economic stimulus appropriation given about three years back for technology improvements. Not all of that special appropriation has been spent yet since much of it is going for the new national computing center which is still under construction. Several of Social Security's offices were damaged by the storm. A large program service center was down for several days. Overtime is needed to make up for workloads not processed during the downtime. Asking for money in the supplemental appropriation was no stretch. I doubt that $2 million comes close to Social Security's costs as a result of Sandy. The agency certainly needs that $2 million for technology. In normal times, a little money to help Social Security with its disaster related costs would have been no big deal. Now, the agency gets the cold shoulder.

Don't Want To Seem Impatient But When Next Month?

From: ^Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 3:20 PM
Subject: COMMISSIONER'S BROADCAST--01/28/13

A Message To All SSA And DDS Employees

Subject:  Massachusetts

I wanted you to hear from me that I will be submitting my resignation to President Obama next month.

I will have more to say as we get closer to my last day, but I consider it a great privilege to have led this remarkable agency for six years.  I am very proud of all that we have accomplished in that time to reduce backlogs, improve service, adopt efficient cutting-edge technology, replace fraying infrastructure, and prepare our next generation of leaders for the challenges to come.

Laura, Maggie, and I started moving our summer clothes and books back to Massachusetts over the holidays and we expect to be back home soon.  I will be starting jury duty in Middlesex County shortly after I leave, but otherwise have not made plans.  I am still passionate about public service, teaching, literature, and curing diseases, and hope to find new ways to continue pursuing those interests.

I feel truly blessed.  I am more grateful than I can convey for the skill and dedication of the hundreds of civil servants and political appointees—Republican and Democratic—who have worked closely with me over the past six years.  I have witnessed the same expertise, compassion, and commitment to excellence in my travels outside of our Woodlawn headquarters.

I am confident that you will give Carolyn Colvin and future Commissioners the enthusiastic support that you have always given me. I will miss you and will always be rooting for you.

Thank you.

Michael J. Astrue

Commissioner 

     And here's a link to a press release that talks about Astrue's impending departure from Social Security. This gives information about accomplishments that Commissioner Astrue takes pride in, such as:

• He has served longer than any Republican Commissioner and longer than any Commissioners except Arthur J. Altmeyer (1940-46) and Robert M. Ball (1962-73).
• Adopted fast-track procedures for the 6% of the disability claimants who are most obviously disabled;
• Reduced the time to a disability hearing from about 540 days to about 360 days in an era of rapidly rising claims and dwindling budgets;
• Replaced the fraying data center with a state-of-the-art facility due to open next year and built a second co-processing center that can continue operations in the event of a disaster;
• Developed a suite of electronic services that are rated the best in government;
• Developed the federal government’s first interactive suite of Spanish services;
• Updated most of the agency’s medical listings and entered into a partnership with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to replace the antiquated vocational tool used for disability determinations;
• Created the online Retirement Estimator, which allows Americans to better plan for retirement by obtaining personalized information about their projected retirement payments;
• Improved the quality of disability decision-making through better staffing, training, and software support; and
• Spearheaded “plain language” efforts for the annual reports on the financial status of the Medicare and Social Security programs.

" A Dearth Of Staff To Perform Checks"

     From Yahoo News:

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey says a pilot program designed to prevent criminals from becoming managers of a person's Social Security benefits has screened out dozens of people convicted of fraud and violence.

The Pennsylvania Democrat now wants the Social Security Administration to expand and improve the initiative, which was launched last summer in five states and Washington, D.C., after a convicted killer on parole in Philadelphia allegedly kept several mentally disabled people captive while cashing their benefits checks. ...

Under the program, Social Security offices in the Philadelphia region instituted a new policy that barred people convicted of certain crimes — including sex offenses, theft, forgery and abuse — from serving as payees. Applicants were asked specific questions about past criminal behavior and agency employees used an in-house database to cross-check convictions.

Through Jan. 23, 100 people were rejected from becoming payees, Casey said. ...

Social Security Administration spokesman Mark Hinkle has previously said key stumbling blocks to more vigorous screening are the agency's lack of access to government databases with criminal background information and a dearth of staff to perform checks on each applicant.