Social Security Proposes Legislation to Stop the Furloughing of State Disability Employees
Back in April, I wrote a post about my opinions concerning the practice of furloughing disability state employees. I said it was wrong. I am pleased to learn that, three months later, the Social Security Administration is taking action to end this practice.
In a Social Security press release issued July 23, Michael J. Astrue, the commissioner of Social Security, stated that the SSA will be submitting legislation to end these furloughs. He said, “It is long past time that states end these unconscionable furloughs and hiring freezes that needlessly harm citizens with disabilities. States realize no fiscal savings whatsoever from these actions and this legislation would prevent needless delays in the disability determination process. I am grateful for the President’s support and urge Congress to move quickly to help us make this provision the law of the land.”
I am grateful, too. It has never made sense to me to include the employees of a state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS) in this furloughing practice. They are state employees administering a federally funded program. No state budget money has been saved in the dozen or so states that have implemented this practice. In fact, states have lost money. State income tax revenue has been reduced and unemployment in those states has risen. It simply doesn’t make sense.
What furloughing of DDS employees has accomplished is to cause more delays to a system that is trying to overcome backlogs of disability claims. For example, in California, more than 40,000 citizens with disabilities were delayed benefits in 2010 because of the state-imposed furlough. Talk about “unconscionable.” I couldn’t agree more. Hopefully we’ll see a quick response from Congress to end furloughing of state DDS employees. In my opinion, for the Freedom Disability claimants we serve, this legislation is long overdue.
Learn More About Your Disability Benefits:
State Furloughs of Disability State Employees is Just Wrong
Layoffs of State SSA Employees Cause Delays in Disability Benefits- California Wrongly Continues to Furlough DDS Employees
Can I Apply for and Win Social Security Disability Benefits While Collecting Unemployment?- Social Security Speeds Up the Disability Approval Process
- Budget Cuts Threaten to Increase the Social Security Disability Claims Backlog
- SSA Hearing Center in St. Louis to Improve Disability Backlog
I was hurt on my job as a NYS Court Officer. I suffered injuries to my both my knees which worker's compensation paid for my surgeries. My knees are fine, sometimes they hurt. The worst injuries were to my back and neck. I have partial permanent nerve damage to my neck, which is extremely painful, and effects my arms and fingers. My neuorologist, referred me to a pain medicine doctor. I have 4 damaged discs. I had a choice to suffer or recieve help for my pain. I recieve epidurals with a 10 gage needle and I went on opiates. All of this was disclosed to my employer. I was able to work even though I was incredible pain. I have 6 children and was the only source of income. My husband was not employed. He took care of my youngest children. I became increasingly anxious, the suffering was almost unbearable. I was put on med. leave w/o pay. I was emotionally abused by my major. He called me a drug addict and a alot of sexual insults. SSD decided I was physically unable to work because of my on the job accident, they also determined that I have CPTSD w/ chronic panic attacks, dissassociative disorder and extreme anxiety. I need a lawyer to retire from my job. I understand I'm not credible because of my mental disability, My youngest 2 children need me to be able to retire from my NYS job, Please help my children.