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| 'Incomprehensible' furloughs stymie DDS |
| 2010-02-22 |
| Thousands of disabled Bay Staters in dire need of federal aid are facing longer delays after a Patrick administration decision to furlough more than 80 percent of the workers handling their claims, officials and advocates say. The move sets up a battle between the state and the federal government, with the nation's top Social Security honcho calling Gov. Deval Patrick's decision "incomprehensible" and saying he cannot rule out legal action. "I can't conceive of how anyone would think this would make any sense," U.S. Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue told the Herald. "Massachusetts isn't saving money. I just think it's incomprehensible." Astrue said the Patrick administration told him that 228 of 272 employees in the state's two Disability Determination Services Offices, which process thousands of disability applications a year, are to be furloughed. So far, 14 DDS managers have been furloughed. Astrue questioned the logic in furloughing the workers when the office is federally funded. Robert Bliss, a Patrick administration spokesman, acknowledged that the state will see no savings by furloughing the employees. "The issue is equal treatment" of all employees, he said. "We have asked state employees to share the sacrifice across management and through concessions from state employee unions." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 As someone who receives Social Security Disability (with good reason), I know from experience that the DDS Offices almost always deny the first claim. I ended up hiring a lawyer specializing in Social Security disability law. My time before the judge lasted less than 10 minutes, and my last application was approved. Many of the people filing for Social Security disability don't meet the requirement that they have a condition that renders them unemployable. That is the most common determining factor in approving or disapproving SSDI. As for Deval Patrick, picking a fight with the US Government is NOT a good idea. The fed can win by simply withholding ANY funding to Massachusetts. I don't remember if the government has ever done something like that before, but it's within their capability. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-02-22 16:44 |
| #4 "The issue is equal treatment" of all employees, he said. Then just fire all of them. |
| Posted by: DoDo 2010-02-22 11:05 |
| #3 I'm surprised they haven't concluded they can just have the remaining 20% of the employees simply approve all Disability claims 'as presented.' |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-02-22 07:58 |
| #2 I just think it's incomprehensible." Which is answered a few lines further down... "The issue is equal treatment" of all employees, he said. "We have asked state employees to share the sacrifice across management and through concessions from state employee unions." Hey, bud, union rules never were needed to make sense. When you have them, you have to work around and with them. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-22 04:43 |
| #1 Robert Bliss, a Patrick administration spokesman, acknowledged that the state will see no savings by furloughing the employees. But it certainly may slow the bleeding from the rubber stamping of bogus Social Security disability claims, which appear to be skyrocketing nationwide. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-22 03:11 |