Making Demands

     Darrell Issa, the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has sent an amazing letter to the Acting Commissioner of Social Security making harsh accusations and strident demands. I don't think I've ever read anything like this directed at Social Security. 

     I have no idea whether this portends anything for Acting Commissioner Colvin's nomination to become Commissioner for real. 

     I guarantee that if she submits to these demands that some very different demands will be made at whatever in the future when Democrats control that Committee.

Workers Say They'll Wait Longer To Retire And To Some Extent They Do

 

From the Census Bureau

New List Of Charges

    Social Security has a new schedule of charges for "non-program-related" requests for agency records -- and please note that these charges do not apply to situations such as a claimant or his or her attorney seeking access to records in order to pursue their claim:

1. Copying a fully electronic folder (burning CDROM) – ($49)
· Includes transferring information from an individual’s electronic folder to a compact disc (CD)
· Whether the request is for the entire claims file or one document from the claims file, such as the Consultative Examination Report, charge the requester $49.
· When multiple claims files exist (i.e., claimant filed for benefits more than once) and a CD is burned for each claims file, only charge the requester $49 for each request, not $49 for each CD.
· National 800 Number Network (N8NN) agents should refer these requesters to the FO. Provide the FO address and business number to the requester.
2. Copying a paper folder – ($86)
· Includes duplicating a copy of a beneficiary’s information that is still partially or fully in a paper format rather than an electronic format · Whether the request is for the entire claims file or one document from the claims file, such as the Consultative Examination Report, charge the requester $86.
· This fee also applies to cases when we must produce a paper copy of an electronic folder. For example, for the purpose of certification, we would still add the cost of certification to the final fee.
· N8NN agents should refer these requesters to the FO. Provide the FO address and business number to the requester.
3. Third-party SSN verifications (manual) – ($29)
· The SSN verifications we provide in local field offices for third parties and are chargeable services · These verifications do not include automated verification services such as Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS), Enumeration Verification Service (EVS), or Consent Based SSN Verification (CBSV).
· Excludes manual SSN verifications for first-party requesters
· This is not limited to printouts (i.e., SSN Printout or “Numi-Lite”) and can include letters, completing forms, or other methods of providing SSN verifications.
· N8NN agents should refer these requesters to the FO. Provide the FO address and business number to the requester.
4. Regional office certification – ($48)
· Requested by individual requesters who need us to certify records that are generally for court purposes
· Typically, requests come from the Government Accountability Office, U.S. or private attorneys, copy service companies, SSN holders or their representatives.
· A designated SSA official signs the records certifying the records are true and exact copies of the information contained in our records. (See GN 03360.025)
· A grommet, ribbon, and seal, bind the certified records.
5. OCO [Office of Central Operations] certification - ($32)
· We frequently receive requests for certification of earnings records.
· Typical requests come from other government agencies (i.e. Department of Treasury (TD), Department of Justice (DOJ)), number holders, or their legal representative for litigation matters.
· A designated SSA official signs the records certifying the records are true and exact copies of the earnings information contained in our records.
· A grommet, ribbon, and seal, bind the certified records.
6. W2 and W3 requests – ($38)
· Employers, individuals, or third parties request copies of employer reports (W-2 and W-3 Wage Reports) for program and non-program purposes. · We charge for non-program-related requests that do not directly relate to the administration of a program under the Act.

7. Record extract – Field Office (FO) – ($33)
· Any requests for any entitlement or status information including current benefit amount, payment history, Medicare entitlement, and status of claim or appeal.
· Whether the request is for one item (i.e., date of filing) or multiple items, charge the requester $33.
· This includes providing benefit verifications for third-party requesters printed from PCOM. Exception: We do not charge first-party requesters for benefit or SSN verifications.
· This may include completion of questionnaires or documents with fill-ins.
· We extract information from a number of systems, including MBR, SSID, DDSQ, MCS, or MSSICS.
· This includes queries. Each query will cost $33.00. Thus, if a requester needs an MBR and SSID for the same client, the cost will be $66.00.

· N8NN agents should refer these requesters to the FO. Provide the FO address and business number to the requester.

How Long Should It Take To Replace A Stolen Social Security Check?

     Dominic Daniel's Social Security check was stolen. It only took about a year and the help of a local television station for him to be reimbursed for the missing money.

     Please, don't give any silly lectures about the need for direct deposit. It shouldn't take this long to resolve this sort of problem regardless of how the money is supposed to come in. In any case, there's probably at least as much risk of a direct deposit of Social Security funds being fraudulently redirected from a person's bank account as there is of a check being stolen. At least stolen checks are easily traced. This is just bad service.

     Also, by the way, note the description of Dominic in the article. He's got poor hearing and cannot speak. We can't tell for sure from the article but he's probably receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) child's benefits. There are persistent reports that SSI child's benefits are paid to children who have nothing much wrong with them. That's not accurate. Dominic is the reality of SSI child benefits.

Rubio Complaints About Distance That Claimants Have To Travel

     Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is demanding to know why some of his constituents have to travel so far for Social Security hearings.

Social Security's Leadership Taking The Blame

     Another newspaper piece, this one from Buffalo, blaming Social Security field office closures on the foolish, heartless Social Security Administration. The rational conclusion after reading this and other similar pieces is that Social Security must have terrible leadership. No mention is made in this piece of Social Security's limited appropriations. It's all about bad decisions made at Social Security.

     I really wonder whether this run of articles around the country on this subject is happening spontaneously or whether some group is promoting this.

The Blame Game Has Started And The Obama Administration Is Losing

     From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Cut services, close offices and eliminate government jobs.

That's been the Republican Party's battle cry for decades, but when it comes to the Social Security Administration, it's the Obama administration that's doing all the above.

For more than a year now, the Social Security Administration has rather quietly been trying to shift the public from obtaining walk-in services at its field offices to the Internet.

     There's no question about why Social Security has cut back on service. Republicans in Congress are blocking adequate operating funds for the agency. But look who's getting the blame -- the Obama Administration. Who should the Obama Administration blame for this unfairness? Themselves for not screaming bloody murder about Social Security's inadequate operating budgets. The blame game has started and Republicans are ahead.

You're Being Set Up, Carolyn Colvin

     The Post and Courier in Charleston, SC has an article on Social Security's decision to shut down some field offices and reduce service at the rest. The interesting thing about the article is that there is no mention whatsoever of Social Security's inadequate operating budget. As far as any reader would know, service is being cut because stupid bureaucrats at Social Security are making stupid decisions because they just don't care about serving the public. Those idiots think that they can force Americans to do all their business with Social Security over the computer! What's wrong with them? They ought to be fired!

     This is close to what happened at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Congress gave the agency inadequate funding. When the inevitable happened and service deteriorated to the point that the public was outraged, the blame fell not on Congress but on VA management. Villains had to be found. The main villain was the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki. He was forced to resign but he wasn't the only one. Others have been forced out as well. Yes, there was the added factor of fiddling with the books to try to hide the VA's service delivery problems but that was little more than a pretext and I'm not absolutely sure that's not happening at Social Security.

     Carolyn Colvin needs to figure it out. The same thing is going to happen to her. Either she's not going to be confirmed or she'll eventually be forced to resign because she'll be made the scapegoat for her agency's terrible service. The deterioration over the last year cannot continue indefinitely. We are headed towards ridiculous busy rates and absurd wait times once a call is answered. We're headed towards long lines outside the doors of Social Security field offices. It's going to blow up. I can't say when but it's coming.
     The only way I can see for Acting Commissioner Colvin to prevent being blamed for the lousy service is to start shouting from the rooftop that she knows her agency is delivering poor service and that it's the fault of the inadequate budget her agency receives. A great case in point is the recent Senate Aging Committee hearing. Why is it that the most important information the Committee received about service at Social Security came not from the agency but from the National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA), an organization of Social Security management personnel? Why wasn't Social Security spreading the word? The problem is that Carolyn Colvin and upper Social Security in general want to downplay the agency's service delivery problem and pretend that it's not that bad but that's exactly what happened at VA. Will loudly blaming Congress for poor service at Social Security offend Congressional Republicans? Sure, but does Colvin have any choice?