Tuesday, November 26, 2019

4 Takeaways From The Commissioner of Social Security’s Open Letter


Commissioner Andrew Saul issued an open letter on November 4, 2019 outlining some of the steps that the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) is taking to improve service.  Keep in mind that Commissioner Saul has only been on the job since this summer and is likely still learning the complex system, but I like what I am hearing so far. Here are 4 important factors he discussed.

1.      A Common Sense Approach To Change

Clearly, Commissioner Saul is new to working in the government sector, as he advocates for a plan that is rooted in common sense. Anyone who has dealt with the Social Security Administration knows that decisions and changes often take place that seem to fly in the face of common sense. However, Commissioner Saul seems to be pushing a “no excuses” approach to improvement. He seems to understand that the lengthy time frames and backlogs are equally frustrating to claimants and SSA employees. He acknowledges that a reduction of wait times will improve morale at SSA and restore fundamental aspects of adequate public service.

2.      Technology Is Only Part Of The Answer

Commissioner Saul promoted technology as one of his solutions to the excessive backlogs, since his first days in his position. However, in his open letter, Commissioner Saul acknowledges that SSA has to invest in a responsive workforce and perform quality checks to make sure that SSA is meeting the public demand. Thus, he is planning to focus on a “smart hiring” strategy as well.
 
3.      Changes In Service Hours And The Telework Pilot

Hooray! SSA is no longer closing their field offices early on Wednesday, a measure that was adopted to allow caseworkers to catch up on backlogs. Instead, Wednesdays will have normal business hours. Additionally, SSA is ending the telework pilot program, which allowed employees to work from home. SSA felt it saved the Administration the cost of larger offices spaces if they mandated certain employees worked from home on particular days. The Commissioner acknowledged that the controls and data are not in place to determine whether this pilot program was an effective and efficient policy so it is ending.

4.      SSA Plans to Hire 1,100 More people  

The best news of all is that SSA hopes to hire 1,100 employees in the upcoming months. Of course, these new jobs will be completely dependent on the final appropriations issued to SSA for 2020, but I appreciate that Commissioner Saul understands that SSA needs more human bodies to provide exceptional customer service.

Got a question about SSDI or SSI that you need us to answer? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com . We try to provide you with helpful information on our website that will allow you to successfully navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to email me your questions at megan@westcoastdisability.com or call me at (800) 459-3017 x 103.