Social Security Removes National Director of Office of Disability Adjudication and Review

The top two people in Washington responsible for overseeing the appeals process and the more than 1,200 Social Security judges who hear the appeals have been transferred to other positions. The Washington Post indicates that it was because of the massive 1 million plus caseload backlog that has seen little improvement. Some in SSA have said that the answer to the backlog is more money for more judges and more support staff. This is probably true. Unfortunately in Washington though most everyone says that about almost every program. If they only had more money ZYZ program would be more efficient, more mission effective, and help more people. This is fine if your program helps lost adorable looking puppies. Every politician will go on television and support lost adorable looking puppies and publicly fight for more money for the search. Social Security retirement is the lost little puppy program. Social Security Disability is more akin to lost pet snakes, mice, or rats. That said I am sure that of all the judges and support staff throughout the country that make up ODAR there are some good viable ideas to help with the backlog that would not take huge amounts of money. Sometimes though in large organizations it is very difficult for good ideas to rise to the top and get implemented.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/07/23/at-social-security-office-with-a-million-person-backlog-theres-a-new-chief/