SSA and Disability Update

 Posted on February 20, 2010 in Social Security Disability

On December 16, 2009, President Obama signed an appropriations bill into law for the fiscal year 2010. As expected, the bill increased the Social Security Administration's (SSA) budget by 10%, providing a final appropriation of $11,446,500,000 for their administrative budget. There has been a lot of talk questioning how SSA would allocate their spending for the upcoming year. Obviously, the increase could be put into good use, considering the terrifying backlog of Social Security disability cases at ODAR and the significant increase in total disability claims.

The National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) recently issued the latest SSA plans for 2010. The plans include opening 13 new hearing offices, 3 new satellite hearing offices, and another National Hearing Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Where are these offices planned to open? The following is a recent list in alphabetical order of the planned new hearing offices provided by NOSSCR:

*Anchorage, AK

*Phoenix North, AZ

*St. Petersburg, FL

*Covington, GA

*Topeka, KS

*Valparaiso, IN

*Livonia, MI

*Mt. Pleasant, MI

*Fayetteville, NC

*Akron, OH

*Toledo, OH

*Madison, WI

Satellite hearing offices opening:

*Ft. Myers, FL

*Boise, ID

*Harlingen, TX

No information has been provided giving an estimated time of completion for the expansive hearing office additions. However, once the hearing offices are created and running it is clear it will help reduce the national backlog of cases by providing more government employees to review claims.