Of Interest to Attorney Adjudicators Only

[morgullord]

I am attempting to convince our HOCALJ to remove the names and extension numbers of the Attorney Adjudicators in our office from the automated telephone directory. Administrative Law Judges are already excluded from the directory.

The rationale for exclusion of AA's is the same as for ALJ's. Increasingly, I am getting phone calls from claimants who are: unhappy with the district office; unhappy with the payment center; etc. The calls deal with matters over which I have neither jurisdiction nor power. All too frequently, the claimant ends up becoming angry with me for what they perceive as my failure to intercede on their behalf.

If you are an AA, please send me a PM to let me know how this is handled in your office. If you are not comfortable identifying your hearing office, at least let me know your region.

[karaj]

It hasn't become a problem for me. Yet. But it might just be how your management is handling this. When the claimant receives the decision, there is language in it about calling the District Office. You are right - I believe once the decision is signed, we no longer have "jurisdiction" unless the claimant requests an amended or a reopening. So it's not your job to handle general claimant complaints. Your management should have these calls fielded to the SCT or receptionist; thus sparing your time and energy. If that doesn't work, have you talked to the Union--can they speak with your management?

[morgullord]

Claimants call in and use the personnel directory function in the voice mail system to find me. They can ring me up w/o speaking to the receptionist. ALJs are not listed in the directory.

[decadealj]

morgullord- if your HOD (or HOCALJ if he has any authorrity in your office) won't delete your # from the directory, Just don't answer the phone and let it take a message. Ever since SSA rourted all of our calls through the big computer in Baltimore, most of us don't take any personal calls except on our cell phone.