SSA Continues to Make Progress Expediting Backlogged Disability Case

[Guest guest]

Social Security Continues to Make Progress Expediting Backlogged

Disability Cases

Limited Resources Under a Continuing Resolution Could Slow Momentum

in FY 2009

http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/backlog-progress-pr.html

During a speech to the National Organization of Social Security

Claimants' Representatives, J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social

Security, reported on the progress made in fiscal year (FY) 2008 in

the agency's efforts to expedite backlogged disability cases.

" The plan we presented to Congress in May 2007 is working, "

Commissioner Astrue said. " We have moved quickly to utilize new

technologies, improve our business processes and add new staff.

Combined with the hard work of our employees and the support of

Congress, we are clearly on the right track to providing Americans

with disabilities the prompt service they deserve. "

During FY 2008, Social Security hired 190 new Administrative Law

Judges (ALJs), opened a National Hearing Center (NHC), eliminated

virtually its entire aged case backlog of more than 135,000 cases

waiting over 900 days for a hearing decision, and implemented a quick

disability determination (QDD) process in all 50 states.

As a result of these and many other activities, the disability

backlog at the hearings level, which had been growing at the rate of

about 70,000 cases each year for most of this decade, grew by only

about 14,000 cases.

" The hiring of 190 additional ALJs was critical but will not yield

immediate results, " Commissioner Astrue noted. It generally takes

about nine months for new ALJs to become fully productive. With

attrition and experienced ALJs being used to train the new judges,

the agency actually had 46 fewer ALJs available in FY 2008 than the

prior year. Despite this fact, ALJs held more hearings and issued

more dispositions than in FY 2007. The agency exceeded its targeted

goal by over 16,000 cases.

The opening of the NHC gives Social Security the capability to

quickly and flexibly move cases and conduct video hearings in the

cities with the worst backlogs. NHC judges initially focused their

efforts on the backlogs in Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit – cities

where claimants had been waiting the longest. Atlanta continues to

be a focus for the NHC, along with Flint, MI and Indianapolis. The

agency plans to expand the NHC in Falls Church, VA as well as open

additional centers in Albuquerque and Chicago. In addition, the

agency is working with the General Services Administration to

establish new hearing offices in the most backlogged states: Florida,

Georgia, Kansas, Michigan and Ohio.

Social Security completed the nationwide roll-out of the QDD process

in February 2008 and it has proven to be an unqualified success. QDD

cases now represent about three percent of all new claims. This

means more than 75,000 people each year will have their cases allowed

in about 8 days, something that was unheard of just a year ago. The

QDD threshold has now been adjusted for 31 Disability Determination

Services (DDS), and the agency plans to gradually increase the volume

of QDD cases while maintaining the same level of quality.

Other accomplishments in FY 2008 include:

More than 2.6 million initial disability claims processed;

Approximately 560,000 reconsideration cases processed;

Over 575,000 hearing requests processed;

Over 83,000 Appeals Council Reviews processed;

Implemented procedures to allow attorney adjudicators to issue fully-

favorable decisions -- over 24,000 decisions issued;

Implemented a process in which the hearing office returns specific

cases to the DDS for review for potential allowance -- to date, DDSs

have allowed about 24,000 cases;

Improved the process to identify and expedite military casualty

claims;

Implemented the Request for Program Consultation process nationally

to improve accuracy and consistency in the disability decision-making

process; and

Implemented a process that allows the public and third parties to

file disability reconsideration and hearing requests via the

Internet.

" The progress we have made is significant, especially since receipts

at the hearings level were five percent higher than we expected in FY

2008. While the backlog grew slightly, the rate of increase in

pending cases continues to drop, " Commissioner Astrue said.

Looking ahead to FY 2009, Commissioner Astrue hopes the energy and

talent of the new ALJs, the national rollout of Compassionate

Allowances, and other initiatives will improve the quality of reviews

and steadily reduce the number of pending cases starting this

spring. However, he stated, " the effects of an extended continuing

resolution are clearly slowing our progress. We simply cannot

address the challenges we face without adequate and timely funding.

Many things we need to do, such as increase support staff and add new

hearing offices, will not happen if Congress fails to pass an

adequate appropriations bill by March. Social Security is an agency

of great skill and accomplishment and we are ready to work with

Congress, the new Administration and all of our stakeholders to

improve service to the public. "