Another D.C. Area Field Office Closing

     I'm hearing that the Baltimore North Social Security field office will be closed.

Great New Idea!

     A law professor has a great new idea. Why don't we pay for Trump's wall on the Mexican border by taking money out of the Social Security Trust Funds? It's only fair. Many undocumented migrants from Mexico have paid into those Trust Funds but will never draw benefits because they worked under phony Social Security numbers. Who could object to taking that money out of the Trust Funds to pay for the wall?

Why Does This Vary So Greatly?

Ranking of the HO dispositions per ALJ per day Sorted by ALJ Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ: Descending Order

Rank	Hearing Office	Region	ALJ Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ
1	PONCE	02	3.99
2	MORENO VALLEY	09	3.03
3	SAN BERNARDINO	09	2.87
4	JACKSON MS	04	2.62
5	MCALESTER	06	2.61
6	TULSA	06	2.60
7	FORT SMITH	06	2.53
8	KINGSPORT	04	2.51
9	LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN	09	2.49
10	HUNTINGTON WV	03	2.47
11	DALLAS NORTH	06	2.44
12	HONOLULU	09	2.41
13	TOPEKA KS	07	2.40
14	SYRACUSE	02	2.39
15	FLINT	05	2.38
16	SALT LAKE CITY	08	2.37
17	AKRON OH	05	2.31
17	HOUSTON NORTH	06	2.31
19	GRAND RAPIDS	05	2.29
19	LIVONIA MI	05	2.29
19	OMAHA	07	2.29
22	CHARLESTON WV	03	2.28
22	FRANKLIN TN	04	2.28
24	METAIRIE	06	2.27
24	PROVIDENCE	01	2.27
26	CHATTANOOGA	04	2.26
27	SPRINGFIELD MA	01	2.25
28	ORLANDO	04	2.22
29	INDIANAPOLIS	05	2.18
29	LITTLE ROCK	06	2.18
29	PHOENIX	09	2.18
29	TUCSON	09	2.18
33	ALBANY	02	2.17
33	NEW ORLEANS	06	2.17
33	ORANGE	09	2.17
36	PORTLAND OR	10	2.16
37	MT PLEASANT MI	05	2.15
38	ALEXANDRIA	06	2.14
38	GREENVILLE	04	2.14
40	LANSING	05	2.13
41	ATLANTA NORTH	04	2.12
41	HARRISBURG	03	2.12
41	MEMPHIS	04	2.12
41	RIO GRANDE VALLEY TX	06	2.12
41	WICHITA	07	2.12
46	DOVER	03	2.10
47	LAWRENCE MA	01	2.09
47	LOS ANGELES WEST	09	2.09
47	NASHVILLE	04	2.09
50	EVANSVILLE	05	2.08
50	HARTFORD	01	2.08
50	LONG ISLAND	02	2.08
50	MONTGOMERY	04	2.08
50	NEWARK	02	2.08
55	KANSAS CITY	07	2.07
55	ST PETERSBURG FL	04	2.07
57	LAS VEGAS	09	2.06
57	NORFOLK	03	2.06
57	TAMPA	04	2.06
60	COLUMBUS	05	2.05
60	LOUISVILLE	04	2.05
60	RALEIGH	04	2.05
60	SPOKANE	10	2.05
64	MADISON	05	2.04
64	MINNEAPOLIS	05	2.04
64	ST LOUIS	07	2.04
67	BALTIMORE	03	2.03
68	ORLAND PARK	05	2.02
68	SOUTH JERSEY	02	2.02
70	OAK PARK	05	2.01
71	ALBUQUERQUE	06	2.00
71	DETROIT	05	2.00
71	ROCHESTER	02	2.00
71	SACRAMENTO	09	2.00
75	HATTIESBURG	04	1.99
75	JERSEY CITY	02	1.99
75	NORWALK	09	1.99
75	PORTLAND ME	01	1.99
75	RICHMOND	03	1.99
75	WEST DES MOINES	07	1.99
81	FLORENCE	04	1.98
81	PADUCAH	04	1.98
81	QUEENS	02	1.98
84	CHICAGO	05	1.97
84	COLORADO SPRINGS	08	1.97
86	BIRMINGHAM	04	1.96
86	MIDDLESBORO	04	1.96
88	COVINGTON GA	04	1.95
88	DAYTON	05	1.95
88	FORT WORTH	06	1.95
88	SHREVEPORT	06	1.95
92	COLUMBIA MO	07	1.94
92	MORGANTOWN	03	1.94
92	VALPARAISO IN	05	1.94
95	MILWAUKEE	05	1.93
95	PEORIA	05	1.93
95	STOCKTON	09	1.93
95	WASHINGTON	03	1.93
99	EUGENE	10	1.92
99	OKLAHOMA CITY	06	1.92
99	WILKES BARRE	03	1.92
102	FORT WAYNE	05	1.90
102	OAK BROOK	05	1.90
102	TUPELO	04	1.90
102	WHITE PLAINS	02	1.90
106	HOUSTON-BISSONNET	06	1.89
106	RENO	09	1.89
108	BOSTON	01	1.88
108	EVANSTON	05	1.88
110	FAYETTEVILLE NC	04	1.87
111	TOLEDO OH	05	1.86
112	CHARLOTTESVILLE	03	1.85
112	CINCINNATI	05	1.85
112	KNOXVILLE	04	1.85
115	CHARLOTTE	04	1.84
115	ELKINS PARK	03	1.84
115	ROANOKE	03	1.84
115	SEVEN FIELDS	03	1.84
119	JACKSONVILLE	04	1.83
120	ANCHORAGE	10	1.82
121	CLEVELAND	05	1.80
121	DALLAS DOWNTOWN	06	1.80
123	LONG BEACH	09	1.79
123	MOBILE	04	1.79
123	NEW YORK VARICK	02	1.79
126	SAVANNAH	04	1.78
127	MANCHESTER	01	1.77
127	SAN RAFAEL	09	1.77
129	CREVE COEUR	07	1.76
129	PITTSBURGH	03	1.76
129	TALLAHASSEE FL	04	1.76
132	PHOENIX NORTH	09	1.75
132	TACOMA	10	1.75
134	COLUMBIA SC	04	1.74
134	DENVER	08	1.74
134	JOHNSTOWN	03	1.74
134	SPRINGFIELD MO	07	1.74
138	ATLANTA DOWNTOWN	04	1.73
138	LEXINGTON	04	1.73
138	SAN ANTONIO	06	1.73
141	FORT MYERS FL	04	1.71
141	FRESNO	09	1.71
143	CHARLESTON SC	04	1.70
143	NEW YORK	02	1.70
143	PHILADELPHIA EAST	03	1.70
146	BRONX	02	1.69
146	BUFFALO	02	1.69
146	SAN FRANCISCO	09	1.69
149	SAN JUAN	02	1.68
150	FT LAUDERDALE	04	1.67
150	NEW HAVEN	01	1.67
152	MIAMI	04	1.64
152	OAKLAND	09	1.64
152	SAN DIEGO	09	1.64
155	BILLINGS	08	1.62
155	GREENSBORO	04	1.62
155	MACON	04	1.62
158	FARGO	08	1.59
159	PHILADELPHIA	03	1.58
160	PASADENA	09	1.54
161	SEATTLE	10	1.53
162	SAN JOSE	09	1.52
163	SANTA BARBARA	09	1.44

From a data file released by Social Security

Haven't Had Time To Get Around To It?

     If I remember correctly, since 1982 claimants who are facing the termination of their Social Security disability benefits on the grounds that they have medically improved have been able to ask that their disability benefits be continued while they appeal the decision to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Even though it's been more than 30 years, Social Security still has no form for asking for benefit continuation. Various field offices have cobbled together their own forms or just do something ad hoc for each case but there's no official form. Why?

A Basic Question

     Why does the online claim form for Supplemental Security Income disability benefits used internally by Social Security request the date that disability began? You can't get benefits until the month after the month you file the claim. An alleged onset date prior to the date of the claim is meaningless. Yes, I suppose an alleged onset date before a prior denial is an implied request to reopen but the claimant can always make an express request to reopen. I keep getting Administrative Law Judges being concerned about an SSI alleged onset date that goes back several years and I have to keep saying we regard that as of no consequence, that we'll amend to the date of the claim since it makes no difference. But why does the form even request an alleged onset date? The paper form, which is rarely used these days, doesn't request an alleged onset date so why should the computer based form?

Arlington, VA Field Office To Close

     One of the justifications that the Social Security Administration uses for closing field offices is population shifts. It may be painful but areas that lose population do stand to lose offices. However, now comes word that Social Security is closing its field office in Arlington, VA. Not only is Arlington not losing population, its population went up by 13% between 2010 and 2017. This is a sign of how serious Social Security's appropriations problem is. Forget the happy talk about how their appropriation just went up. That's all earmarked for contractors. Otherwise, the agency didn't get enough to cover inflation. They're still starved for the operating funds needed to keep field offices open.

Social Security Employee Sentencted For Role In Immigration Fraud

     From the Sacramento Bee:

A longtime Social Security Administration employee has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for her participation in an immigration fraud conspiracy. ... 

 Nelli Kesoyan, 46, of Rancho Cordova was sentenced Friday in federal court in Sacramento for conspiring to make false statements in a matter related to naturalization and citizenship and to obstruct, impede, or influence a pending agency proceeding, and for falsifying government records, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release. She was convicted in January following a four-day jury trial. ...  

 Evidence was presented during Kesoyan's trial that she had abused her position as a claims representative with the Social Security Administration in Sacramento by creating false documents and falsifying government records in an attempt to help Movsesyan commit fraud in two naturalization applications. ...

Social Security Seeking Applications For Retirement and Disability Research Consortium

     A notice from the Social Security Administration:

The Social Security Administration's Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics is seeking competitive applications for a Retirement and Disability Research Consortium (RDRC). The RDRC is an extramural social science research program on matters related to retirement and disability policy funded by SSA through 5-year cooperative agreements. 

The announcement is available on Grants.gov and may be accessed directly at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=303915. Applications are due June 8, 2018. 

     Currently, there's a Disability Research Consortium composed of  Mathematica Policy Research's Center for Studying Disability Policy and the National Bureau of Economic Research's Disability Research Center and a Retirement Research Consortium composed of Boston College, the University of Michigan, and the National Bureau of Economic Research. I don't know if this announcement is a sign that Social Security is planning a consolidation or some other change.
     In my opinion, it's all a waste of money anyway. I've never seen any of this research affect Social Security policy or practice. I wish academics all the best but I see no point in the Social Security Administration giving them public subsidies at a time when there are lines out the doors at the agency's field offices. I should say that this research is required by the agency's appropriations. The agency has no choice but to fund it.