Post by pm on Mar 18, 2009 23:17:38 GMT -5
ADVISORY
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INCOME SECURITY AND FAMILY SUPPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009
SS-1
CONTACT: (202) 225-9263
Congressmen Tanner and McDermott Announce a Joint Hearing on Eliminating the Social Security Disability Backlog
Congressman John S. Tanner (D-TN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security, and Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, today announced a joint hearing on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) large backlog in disability claims and other service delivery declines, including backlogs in program integrity activities. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, SSA’s backlog of claims for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits has reached unprecedented levels, with more than 1.3 million Americans currently awaiting a decision on their case. The problem is particularly severe at the hearings level, where the backlog has more than doubled since 2000 – from about 310,000 to more than 765,000 – and the average waiting time is now almost 500 days.
These backlogs have resulted from years of underfunding as SSA’s workload increased due to the aging of the population and additional responsibilities given to the agency. Resource shortages have also led to service delivery declines in other areas. SSA has significantly cut back on program integrity activities such as continuing disability reviews and SSI redeterminations, even though these activities have been demonstrated to generate considerable savings, as much as $10 in program costs for every $1 in administrative expenditures. In addition, service to the public has declined in SSA’s field offices, as noted in a January 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the backlog problem is of such severity that GAO included it in its biennial “high risk” list of federal programs.
In the past two years, Congress has provided additional funding to begin to address these problems, and SSA has begun to implement a plan to eliminate the hearings level backlog by 2013. However, the agency continues to face new challenges. Disability and retirement claims are increasing due to the economic downturn in combination with demographic changes. From FY 2008 to FY 2009, initial disability claims are projected to increase by more than 12 percent and retirement claims by more than 8 percent, and both are expected to increase even further in FY 2010 and FY 2011.
Finally, two provisions designed to increase access to professional representation for disability claimants are scheduled to expire during the 111th Congress; and legislative proposals have been offered relating to the disability determination process, such as changing how claimants give consent to release medical records.
In announcing the hearing, Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Tanner said, “Today thousands of Americans with severe disabilities must wait months – and sometimes years – to receive benefits. We are committed to ensuring that the Social Security Administration is on top of this problem and receives the resources it needs to eliminate the huge backlog in disability claims. We must also ensure the agency has the necessary resources to handle increased workloads associated with the economic recession, perform program integrity reviews, and provide the highest-quality service to the American people.”
Income Security and Family Support Chairman Jim McDermott said, “Far too many of our most vulnerable elderly and disabled citizens are waiting too long to get the benefits that they deserve and are entitled to under the law. Congress has responded to this crisis by providing the Social Security Administration with increased funds in order to begin to actively address this problem, but it is time for the agency to take more action to significantly reduce the waiting period before an individual gets the benefits and services they need, while also ensuring the integrity of the process. I look forward to hearing about the initiatives that the agency is taking to address this problem and what additional steps Congress can take to help.”
FOCUS OF THE HEARING
This hearing will focus on SSA’s large backlog in disability claims. The Subcommittees will examine the impact of the backlog on applicants with severe disabilities and SSA’s plans for eliminating the backlog, including how the agency intends to use the additional funding that Congress has provided for the current fiscal year. The hearing will also examine the impact of resource shortages on other agency responsibilities, including SSA’s substantial backlog in program integrity activities, and SSA’s plans for addressing these challenges. The hearing also provides an opportunity for comment on legislative proposals or expiring provisions relating to disability determination.
waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=7604
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INCOME SECURITY AND FAMILY SUPPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2009
SS-1
CONTACT: (202) 225-9263
Congressmen Tanner and McDermott Announce a Joint Hearing on Eliminating the Social Security Disability Backlog
Congressman John S. Tanner (D-TN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security, and Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, today announced a joint hearing on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) large backlog in disability claims and other service delivery declines, including backlogs in program integrity activities. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, SSA’s backlog of claims for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits has reached unprecedented levels, with more than 1.3 million Americans currently awaiting a decision on their case. The problem is particularly severe at the hearings level, where the backlog has more than doubled since 2000 – from about 310,000 to more than 765,000 – and the average waiting time is now almost 500 days.
These backlogs have resulted from years of underfunding as SSA’s workload increased due to the aging of the population and additional responsibilities given to the agency. Resource shortages have also led to service delivery declines in other areas. SSA has significantly cut back on program integrity activities such as continuing disability reviews and SSI redeterminations, even though these activities have been demonstrated to generate considerable savings, as much as $10 in program costs for every $1 in administrative expenditures. In addition, service to the public has declined in SSA’s field offices, as noted in a January 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the backlog problem is of such severity that GAO included it in its biennial “high risk” list of federal programs.
In the past two years, Congress has provided additional funding to begin to address these problems, and SSA has begun to implement a plan to eliminate the hearings level backlog by 2013. However, the agency continues to face new challenges. Disability and retirement claims are increasing due to the economic downturn in combination with demographic changes. From FY 2008 to FY 2009, initial disability claims are projected to increase by more than 12 percent and retirement claims by more than 8 percent, and both are expected to increase even further in FY 2010 and FY 2011.
Finally, two provisions designed to increase access to professional representation for disability claimants are scheduled to expire during the 111th Congress; and legislative proposals have been offered relating to the disability determination process, such as changing how claimants give consent to release medical records.
In announcing the hearing, Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Tanner said, “Today thousands of Americans with severe disabilities must wait months – and sometimes years – to receive benefits. We are committed to ensuring that the Social Security Administration is on top of this problem and receives the resources it needs to eliminate the huge backlog in disability claims. We must also ensure the agency has the necessary resources to handle increased workloads associated with the economic recession, perform program integrity reviews, and provide the highest-quality service to the American people.”
Income Security and Family Support Chairman Jim McDermott said, “Far too many of our most vulnerable elderly and disabled citizens are waiting too long to get the benefits that they deserve and are entitled to under the law. Congress has responded to this crisis by providing the Social Security Administration with increased funds in order to begin to actively address this problem, but it is time for the agency to take more action to significantly reduce the waiting period before an individual gets the benefits and services they need, while also ensuring the integrity of the process. I look forward to hearing about the initiatives that the agency is taking to address this problem and what additional steps Congress can take to help.”
FOCUS OF THE HEARING
This hearing will focus on SSA’s large backlog in disability claims. The Subcommittees will examine the impact of the backlog on applicants with severe disabilities and SSA’s plans for eliminating the backlog, including how the agency intends to use the additional funding that Congress has provided for the current fiscal year. The hearing will also examine the impact of resource shortages on other agency responsibilities, including SSA’s substantial backlog in program integrity activities, and SSA’s plans for addressing these challenges. The hearing also provides an opportunity for comment on legislative proposals or expiring provisions relating to disability determination.
waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=7604