The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) recently received responses from Social Security regarding a number of issues that have impeded the disability process during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the obstacles include getting paperwork to Social Security while most employees are working from home and will not receive mail that comes to SSA offices, issues with processing paper files and confusion regarding hearings. Social Security is doing only phone hearings since mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are some of Social Security’s response to these situations that is limiting the agency’s ability to process claims.
Fax Numbers: Because most Social Security employees are working from home and not receiving mail the agency has requested paperwork be faxed to offices where employees can access it electronically, but many people did not have fax numbers for many Social Security offices.
SSA Response: The Social Security Office Locator webpage now displays the fax lines and phone numbers for each of our Field Offices (FOs). While our employees continue to work remotely during the pandemic, they are able to receive faxes electronically and take all appropriate action on cases. The FO will route the material to the Payment Center (PC) if the FO is unable to work the case. We want to keep these existing communications channels intact during the pandemic to ensure we handle the flow of work into our FOs and PCs efficiently.
Paper Files: Social Security has always had a few disability files that are paper files where accessing information electronically is not possible. Since the COVD-19 pandemic hit these files have basically been collecting dust because SSA can’t process the claims.
SSA Response: At this time, we still do not have a viable process to move paper cases between staff members since all are working from home, nor to share the record with claimants and/or representatives. We are actively pursuing alternatives to place cases in an electronic format that we hope to implement in the near future.
Hearing Notices: Disability claimants continue to receive confusing information about disability hearings. Even though Social Security has done nothing but phone hearings since mid March and will continue to do so at least through the month of August, claimants may get conflicting information about whether they need to be at a Social Security office for a hearing or appear by phone. This is unacceptable and the rule has been phone only hearings since mid March.
SSA Response: Our notices are consistent with the regulations; however, we understand your concerns and are working to develop additional notices addressing COVID considerations, and will provide updates in the near future.
As you can see, the last two responses from Social Security indicate the agency hopes to resolve issues and provide updates “in the near future.” In all honesty this is unacceptable. Social Security has been operating like this for four months now and still has not ironed out these deficiencies. These are not monumental changes that need to be made and Social Security needs to start doing a better job of providing service to its customers.
