http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022803625.htmlBy Stephen Barr
Friday, February 29, 2008; Page D04
Over the next decade, the Social Security Administration's workload will increase substantially. Retirement claims will jump by more than 40 percent and disability claims by nearly 10 percent.
The first wave of 80 million baby boomers has applied for Social Security, and boomers are likely to seek disability benefits in greater numbers than did previous generations.
What gets Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue exercised: The average wait for a disability ruling is up to 499 days. (Danny Johnston - Associated Press)
At a House hearing yesterday, Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said the agency may have to reinvent itself -- making greater use of technology and streamlined procedures -- to keep up with the boomers as well as whittle down a disability case backlog.
"Productivity alone cannot fully offset the increase in our workloads," he testified.
Productivity, at least among the agency's administrative law judges, emerged as an issue at the hearing, held by Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and its labor, health and human services, education and related agencies subcommittee.
The testimony raised questions about whether Social Security's 140 offices that handle disability claims are appropriately staffed and whether administrative law judges who rule in disability cases could be more productive.
FULL story at link.