GovernmentExecutive.com

The levels of fiscal 2008 funding approved by appropriators so far would perpetuate a backlog of disability cases at the Social Security Administration, according to a group representing federal managers.

The Federal Managers Association, which represents managers and supervisors in the SSA's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, said earlier this week that even though both House and Senate appropriators have exceeded President Bush's request of $9.6 billion for SSA administrative expenses, the levels they have passed remain insufficient to staff the agency properly.

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday backed an addition of $100 million to Bush's request during its markup of the Labor-Health and Human Services spending bill, bringing the total for the administrative funds to $9.7 billion. Senate appropriators last month were just slightly more generous.

FMA would like to see lawmakers bring the total allocation up to the $10.1 billion approved in the fiscal 2008 budget blueprint. The group noted that even this is less than the $10.4 billion former SSA Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart proposed as part of the agency's budget request.

But the $10.1 billion "would allow the agency to tackle the growing disability claims backlog," the association said.

In a summary of the bill, the House Appropriations Committee said the $100 million it added to the president's proposal should improve the agency's ability to handle claims.

"The increase will help to improve processing times for initial disability claims and hearings, which have increased in recent years," the summary stated. "It will also help to reduce the backlog of disability cases, as well as allow SSA to process additional disability reviews and [Supplemental Security Income] eligibility determinations.

Jessica Klement, government affairs director for the managers association, disagreed that the $100 million would reduce the backlog. "It's going to slow the growth of the backlog, but it will by no means allow them to work on [it]," she said.

The funds will allow the SSA to replace only 1,000 of the 4,000 employees lost in the last three years, she said.

FMA National President Darryl Perkinson issued a letter to the House Appropriations Committee last month saying the president's recommendation fell far short of the funding needed by SSA to more quickly process disability claims.

"More staff will allow SSA to deliver its services to the American people in the best possible manner," Perkinson wrote. "However, this cannot be done without adequate funding from Congress . . . . We, at FMA, believe that the level of funding proposed by the appropriations committees falls far too short of the mark for SSA to serve its customers efficiently."

Klement said FMA would like an amendment offered on the House floor to increase SSA funding, but acknowledged that was a long shot.

President Bush has threatened to veto appropriations bills that exceed his overall recommendations for discretionary spending. The Labor-HHS and the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills alone exceed the president's recommendations by $16 billion.

Acknowledging the likelihood that SSA will not get the $10.1 billion recommended by the Senate Budget Committee, Klement said the agency will go ahead with business as usual and attempt to keep the backlog from snowballing.

"They're going to continue doing what they've been doing for the last six years, because they have been underfunded for six years," she said. "They know how to deal with the problem; they hire the staff they can and handle it the best they can."

COMMENTS

• I can only speak for the Tampa SSA offie -- and it is a pitiful mess. My wife sent a Direct Deposit change form to them (keep in mind that it is the Government's cash management initiative that requires Direct Deposit) and after a full month the Government's SSA office returned the form because it didn't contain her SSN. No where does the form 1199A call for an SSN. And isn't SSA the agency that issues and keeps the records of who has what SSN? The 1199A had her name, address, and telephone number but do you think SSA could call handle the issue in a minute or so by calling her? No -- rather they spent who knows how much time writing a letter (an undated one) returning the form. We had called there several times to get a fax number to send the form but no one ever answered the phone. Perhaps SSA should outsource the phone handling to India -- at least the calls would be answered there. We have again used the ever reliable USPS to mail the form a second to Tampa and I guess it will lay unattended for yet another month. Heaven help the poor people who really need help and must try and try and try and try .......... and try to contact this office by telephone! As a CSRS retiree I am very thankful that I do not get SSA benefits. But you FERS folks had better plan on a lot of headaches from idiocy! My wife has certainly experienced those. Robert Daugherty Posted December 13, 2007 11:10 AM
• Legislators - go to SSA without fanfare and walk around. What will you see? A bunch of employees goofing off, hanging out in the cafeteria, and even napping (with blanket and pillow) in restrooms (they have established signals to alerts those sleeping when management is approaching, and have developed sleep shifts). Report this to management, nothing happens. Report the timecard fraud when the employees leave the facility for two-three hour lunches (but leave strategically placed files on their desks and pretend they are in meetings in other buildings) - nothing is done. Do these employees all receive bonuses for their exceptional work - yes. Same thing down the road at the Medicare Offices - legislators - walk around that complex - you will observe some very disturbing practices. Before you waste more of my money on these employees - get rid of the ones who refuse to do their jobs because they believe they can't be fired. There are groups that refuse to learn the FAR (it has been around since 1984) because they have an agreement signed with the union that says they don't have to. So they have no work, are still on the payroll and will be until they get their cushy retirements. How about those with work at home privileges who brag about how they don't need to use their leave, they can take vacation, go shopping, etc. while they are working at home. Will anything happen to these folks? No. Honest employees are told to "slow down ... pace yourself ... or you will make the rest of us look bad" If even a small portion of the massive waste, fraud and abuse was eliminated, there would be sufficient funding to accomplish everything needed. Concerned Taxpayer Posted July 20, 2007 8:11 AM
• The two previous posters do not understand the amount of fraudulent claims people file with SSA. If they walked in our shoes for one day they would become jaded too. Jim Popp Posted July 17, 2007 9:02 AM