FY23 SSA ALJ Hires

[ARobeByAnyOtherName]

Jun 16, 2023 20:59:18 GMT -5 bourbonmanhattan said:

I heard from a bird who recently visited the sun for enlightenment of a far east apostle who weaves a tale of disciples already selected and being called to service next week. 

At this point, whether it’s next week (this week?) or the week after that or the week after that, everything is “soon.”

It’s like hitting 37 weeks of pregnancy. Anytime is normal and fine and while we’ll wonder every day if today is going to be the day, we won’t get actually concerned until it’s July 23 and we’re two weeks past due.

[bourbonmanhattan]

I heard from another bird who flew close to the moon that disciples have been selected and are pending final approval before the almighty one herself.

[neufenland]

Jun 20, 2023 20:21:38 GMT -5 bourbonmanhattan said:

I heard from another bird who flew close to the moon that disciples have been selected and are pending final approval before the almighty one herself.

I guess it won't be long now.  

[bourbonmanhattan]

I feel like I'm sharing out to the void. Talk please! Anyone heard anything else!?

[rmspringfield]

Jun 21, 2023 23:45:05 GMT -5 bourbonmanhattan said:

I feel like I'm sharing out to the void. Talk please! Anyone heard anything else!?

I think we're all at the point of rumor overload. We've had 3 months of someone overhearing someone who might know someone that said calls are coming this week for 10 weeks now. The truth is, we won't know until the actual calls start coming. 

Right now all I have to say is....

[roonie]

Jun 21, 2023 23:45:05 GMT -5 bourbonmanhattan said:

I feel like I'm sharing out to the void. Talk please! Anyone heard anything else!?

I think we all heard something, but have been burned so many times we’ve just disengaged 😂

[pumpkin]

If the Agency was a sentient being, I would ponder whether the delay in notification of the hiring decision was empathy training for future ALJs.

Please just tell me something. You have all of my information. I’ve put my best foot forward. I have answered all of your questions. I really want this. I need this. It would make such a difference in my life. I really need to know. Every morning I think maybe today is the day I find out. This waiting is excruciating.

Am I disabled? Or not?

[gazoo]

Question - is the ACOSS sign-off just a formality? Has there ever been a time where the COSS/ACOSS didn’t approve the recommended candidates? Just thinking that this last step probably should be easier than prior steps, no?

[roymcavoy]

Jun 22, 2023 6:53:13 GMT -5 gazoo said:

Question - is the ACOSS sign-off just a formality? Has there ever been a time where the COSS/ACOSS didn’t approve the recommended candidates? Just thinking that this last step probably should be easier than prior steps, no?

different animal, but word on the street is that COSS had recommended candidate files in hand in 2019 and no hires were made

[fowlfinder]

Jun 22, 2023 6:31:02 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

If the Agency was a sentient being, I would ponder whether the delay in notification of the hiring decision was empathy training for future ALJs.

Please just tell me something. You have all of my information. I’ve put my best foot forward. I have answered all of your questions. I really want this. I need this. It would make such a difference in my life. I really need to know. Every morning I think maybe today is the day I find out. This waiting is excruciating.

Am I disabled? Or not?

I was thinking this very thing last week as I was prepping a case, and really hope who ever is chosen remembers this existential feeling of uncertainty.

[rmspringfield]

Jun 22, 2023 7:29:43 GMT -5 fowlfinder said:

Jun 22, 2023 6:31:02 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

If the Agency was a sentient being, I would ponder whether the delay in notification of the hiring decision was empathy training for future ALJs.

Please just tell me something. You have all of my information. I’ve put my best foot forward. I have answered all of your questions. I really want this. I need this. It would make such a difference in my life. I really need to know. Every morning I think maybe today is the day I find out. This waiting is excruciating.

Am I disabled? Or not?

I was thinking this very thing last week as I was prepping a case, and really hope who ever is chosen remembers this existential feeling of uncertainty.

THIS 100 percent!!


As an attorney who has repped 1000s of claimants on the other side of the bench I’ve had clients literally die waiting. Some died of terminal illness waiting for SSI which in my jurisdiction meant waiting for their access to medicaid. Some died by taking their own life. Some took their own lives after they called my office making actual death threats if they didn’t hear something soon.

Not passing judgment on anyone or any agency. Just saying it happens. Waiting for “the call” is inconvenient but it’s nothing life or death.

[hillsarealive]

Jun 22, 2023 7:26:34 GMT -5 roymcavoy said:

Jun 22, 2023 6:53:13 GMT -5 gazoo said:

Question - is the ACOSS sign-off just a formality? Has there ever been a time where the COSS/ACOSS didn’t approve the recommended candidates? Just thinking that this last step probably should be easier than prior steps, no?

different animal, but word on the street is that COSS had recommended candidate files in hand in 2019 and no hires were made

You both make good points.  ACOSS sign-off is likely a formality, the sense that I doubt the ACOSS is going to go through the candidates one-by-one, crossing some out and adding others. It is probably more of a rubber stamp situation, as I assume she has more important things to do. In principal, that step could be really fast.  That being said, even if the ACOSS signs off on the names today, I don't think TPTB would be in any hurry to make the calls.  As long as they give candidates an adequate amount of time (say 3-4 weeks before the start date), they probably don't care whether calls go out tomorrow or three weeks from tomorrow.  At this point, in seems to me that each day between now and mid-July is about equally plausible, with the exception of weird days like 7/3.

But there's no guarantees that the agency will hire any ALJs this year. It could be 2019 all over again. That's very unlikely I think, but the possibility should not be ignored.  I don't know how the debt ceiling deal affects things, but it seems possible that the prospect of flat budgets over the next couple years would affect hiring plans.

[dejure]

Jun 22, 2023 10:04:21 GMT -5 hillsarealive said:

But there's no guarantees that the agency will hire any ALJs this year. It could be 2019 all over again. That's very unlikely I think, but the possibility should not be ignored.  I don't know how the debt ceiling deal affects things, but it seems possible that the prospect of flat budgets over the next couple years would affect hiring plans.

Prior to the debt ceiling deal, ACOSS submitted this letter to the ranking member of House Appropriations and outlines this as a real if immeasurable possibility.
democrats-appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Social%20Security%20Administration%20Letter%20-%20Impact%20of%20Spending%20Cuts.pdf

[hillsarealive]

Jun 22, 2023 11:08:31 GMT -5 dejure said:

Jun 22, 2023 10:04:21 GMT -5 hillsarealive said:

But there's no guarantees that the agency will hire any ALJs this year. It could be 2019 all over again. That's very unlikely I think, but the possibility should not be ignored.  I don't know how the debt ceiling deal affects things, but it seems possible that the prospect of flat budgets over the next couple years would affect hiring plans.

Prior to the debt ceiling deal, ACOSS submitted this letter to the ranking member of House Appropriations and outlines this as a real if immeasurable possibility.
democrats-appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Social%20Security%20Administration%20Letter%20-%20Impact%20of%20Spending%20Cuts.pdf

Thanks for posting this!  I had not seen it before. 

On the plus side, this letter responds to a hypothetical budget cut, whereas I think the actual debt deal holds keeps funding flat.  But even so, the agency will receive less money than it wanted, which could presumably impact hiring plans in my (low level, non-expert) opinion.

[roymcavoy]

Jun 22, 2023 11:25:33 GMT -5 hillsarealive said:

Jun 22, 2023 11:08:31 GMT -5 dejure said:

Prior to the debt ceiling deal, ACOSS submitted this letter to the ranking member of House Appropriations and outlines this as a real if immeasurable possibility.
democrats-appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Social%20Security%20Administration%20Letter%20-%20Impact%20of%20Spending%20Cuts.pdf

Thanks for posting this!  I had not seen it before. 

On the plus side, this letter responds to a hypothetical budget cut, whereas I think the actual debt deal holds keeps funding flat.  But even so, the agency will receive less money than it wanted, which could presumably impact hiring plans in my (low level, non-expert) opinion.

there has also been a substantial amount of hiring this FY, which would not have happened under that hypothetical

[legallysufficient]

Hiring will happen soon.....just think positive. Seems like some are going negative. Just think positive. The agency put a lot of work into this hiring announcement and subsequent interview process and there is even intel on the board that they are setting up training the trainer seminars. They have money for hiring this fiscal. Next year is undoubtedly uncertain at this point.

Think positive.

[operationalj]

It’s another Thursday with the possibility of ‘the calls’ going out tomorrow, and I feel like a spectator at a baseball game questioning if I should try to get ‘the wave’ going again or just chill until the 9th inning!😅

[rmspringfield]

Jun 22, 2023 16:08:47 GMT -5 operationalj said:

It’s another Thursday with the possibility of ‘the calls’ going out tomorrow, and I feel like a spectator at a baseball game questioning if I should try to get ‘the wave’ going again or just chill until the 9th ending! 😅

Oh to be a spectator! I feel like I’ve placed a huge bet on the game but every time I check the stats on whose next at bat I can’t get any consistent info. And it’s a tie game at the bottom of the 8th.

[legallysufficient]

Starting tomorrow morning everyone should answer any unrecognizable number in your best Lionel Richie voice and, emphatically say, " Hello? Is it me you're looking for?"

[ARobeByAnyOtherName]

Jun 22, 2023 17:38:05 GMT -5 legallysufficient said:

Starting tomorrow morning everyone should answer any unrecognizable number in your best Lionel Richie voice and, emphatically say, " Hello? Is it me you're looking for?"

[Should I get the call] I’m considering letting it go to voicemail so that I can freak out in private before composing myself and being totally professional on the phone.