Delay in Decisions

[valard]

Does anyone have any idea when the large backlog in decisions will be addressed? Is the budget deal going to provide some overtime? Is there some other solution for the increasing delay in decisions issuing?

[bartleby]

You do realize that this large backlog is nothing new and has been going on for years. It is not a backlog in decisions, it is a backlog in hearings. When 25% of my hearings end in dismissals because the claimant doesn't show up it makes me think no one, including a large percentage of the claimants, really cares. If there is no increase in our budget for hiring, there is not much that can be done. I think we will attempt to replace for attrition and that may mean up to 200 judges as a lot are retiring, but even that may not happen until later next year.. JMHO

[redryder]

My office has a backlog of decisions to be written. This is not uncommon in the first quarter of the fiscal year, particularly when operating on continuing resolutions. Two factors that slow down writing are (1)the increased leave usage with holidays and use/lose hours taken by the writers and (2)the absence of a budget which means no overtime. In January the leave usage won't be an issue but the budget will. Until the regions are given their budgets and overtime allocations, no OT can be authorized. Only extra work done by writers is for credit hours. And that is not extra work hours like OT but a wash. If the budget goes through, writers could see OT possibly in late January, early February.

[goodoleboy]

We really do not need more judges. We need worker bees. We cannot get enough cases worked-up to schedule full dockets even though our case intake has dramatically increased, we have fill-in schedulers that do not know what they are doing and don't (won't) keep track of incoming evidence and mail (mostly SCTs doing CT jobs), and not enough writers. We have the biggest backlog of unwritten decisions I have seen in the last 10 years. This is not a seasonal holiday issue because it has been going on for months. OT will help both workup and writing but it had better be a bunch or we will not get caught up for along time.

[prescient]

Our office has an enormous backlog of cases needing to be written, which was caused by the shutdown. Between having no OT, being down a couple writers, and the use of holiday leave, there's no chance of catching up unless the judges start writing cases at home.

[zebra51]

Writers are leaving with no replacement. I was an AA and took a new job this past January. I went to a retirement luncheon last week with some folk from my old SSA office and was told that in the last 11 months they have lost 7 writers (paralegal and attorney) to retirement and job change. Was told they are waiting on budget and hope to replace all 7 with attorney writers.